Nurses strike

[kateclarke]

ok, I’m a nurse in the RCN and my workplace is on the list of those taking part in the strike.
I haven’t heard anything from the union, so how will I know if I’m striking or not?
I provide essential care, so I think some people will be working and some striking.
Will they choose at the last minute? How will I be told?

Talk to your ward manager. Generally there’s an agreement that if you are on shift for something like a ward, or a&e then you go to work. If it’s more outpatients clinics or elective surgery then you can choose whether you strike or not. I believe you also don’t have to tell your manager in advance if you’re striking or not if in the latter category but you need to be sure if your area is deemed essential or not.

I work in ED which is not on the list of areas where staff are continuing to work as normal, however they will obviously need some nurses.

That’s odd. I was under the impression the hospitals would be staffed like Xmas day. I’d be expecting ED to be open 🤷🏻‍♀️

ED will be open, but if it’s staffed like Christmas Day not all of the nurses will be working as less staff work on Christmas Day

I too work in ED and I'm under the impression that we're excluded from the action

@CuddlyRita no. Look at derogations. The exempt serves are crit care chemo and dialysis but not ED. I was very surprised.

Guess it’ll come down to what the hospital decides is needed then. They might actually say because for non nurses it’s a normal day they expect a normal amount of patients therefore staff it like a normal day. If they do have reduced staffing then the ward manager will need to communicate who comes in and who doesn’t want to. But I suspect it’ll be the former and full staffing. Last time there was an RCM strike I worked on Labour ward and it was normal staffing there and on postnatal ward (same as at Xmas for us though) but clinics were shut and community reduced. We had communication from managers beforehand. The unions won’t get involved at this level.

Why would it be up to the hospital? It’s for the union to decide. G to get will However work with management to ensure safe staffing.

All I know is last time the hospital said what they needed to keep open. Obviously the union called the strike and said essential staffing only and the hospital said what was essential. But they were reasonable about it. It was certainly the managers giving information about specific wards, not the unions. Maybe if the hospital had taken the piss the unions would have got involved.

My trust was on the long list chosen to strike yet the RCN have since told us that we aren't striking in December.

Rumour has it they are having the remaining Trusts strike in Jan.

Not that they have told us, it's as clear as mud.