"Raise Our Wages" British Nurses' Union Holds First Large-Scale Strike in 106 Years?

Nurses from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Announce "Large-Scale Strike Before Christmas"
Average of 500 Resign Weekly Due to Low Wages... Workload Peaks Amid Staff Shortages
UK Government Urges Strike Suspension, Saying Demands Cannot Be Met

British nurse training for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine administration. Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] The UK, already grappling with a recession and months-long strikes by railway and port workers, is now facing action from the nurses' union.

On the 6th (local time), BBC and The Guardian reported that nurses belonging to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the UK's largest nurses' union with up to 300,000 members, will launch a large-scale nationwide strike before Christmas.

Last week, until the 2nd, the RCN conducted a large-scale strike vote among all union members for the first time in its 106-year history. Although the official results have not been announced, it is known that most members have been informed that they voted in favor of the strike.

Pat Cullen, General Secretary of the RCN, stated in a press release, "We have concluded that there is no future in the nursing profession without fair treatment," adding, "The strike is for patients as much as it is for nurses."

Currently, the UK nursing sector is experiencing its worst staffing shortage, with an average of 500 nurses resigning each week. According to the RCN, the number of nurses choosing to leave this year has turned upward for the first time in four years. The RCN said, "Due to staff shortages, nurses' workload and stress levels have reached a peak, affecting patient safety and the quality of care they can receive."

They also argued, "The continued staff departures are due to wage increases not keeping pace with inflation." The RCN stated that since the Conservative Party came to power in 2010, the real wages of some skilled nurses have fallen by 20%, demanding a 5% wage increase plus compensation for inflation. In September, the UK's inflation rate was 10.1% year-on-year, meaning the RCN is effectively demanding a 15% wage increase.

According to the BBC, the average annual salary of a full-time nurse in the UK last year was about ?32,000. The starting salary for new nurses is just over ?27,000 (approximately 42.93 million KRW), and the highest salary for the oldest nurses is around ?55,000 (approximately 87.43 million KRW).

Meanwhile, the UK government has stated that it cannot accept the RCN's demands, citing that it has been more supportive of healthcare workers than other public sectors. A spokesperson for the UK Department of Health and Social Care said, "We value the hard work of NHS staff, including nurses. While most public sector workers had their wages frozen last year, NHS workers received a 3% pay increase," urging the RCN to "carefully consider the potential impact of the strike on patients" and to halt the strike.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.