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Original poster

Nurses strike - this is wrong isn’t it?

102 replies

Twospaniels · 15/12/2022 07:30

A nurse in the NHS dept I work in, is joining the strike today. However, she has taken annual leave so that she still gets paid. Not only that, she is the union rep!
Something very wrong there and really not in the spirit of the strike in my opinion.

OP posts:
BoredatHome321 · 15/12/2022 08:04

@User175435643 you know footballers aren't paid by the Government right... That argument is so boring.

WuTangGran · 15/12/2022 08:05

User175435643 · 15/12/2022 08:02

I didn't clap for anyone and the nurses did know what the pay scales were before they chose a poor paying career, it is quite easy to find, its like teachers jobs, why choose a career that pays so low in the first place

Is that you Rishi?

NerrSnerr · 15/12/2022 08:06

User175435643 · 15/12/2022 08:02

I didn't clap for anyone and the nurses did know what the pay scales were before they chose a poor paying career, it is quite easy to find, its like teachers jobs, why choose a career that pays so low in the first place

It wasn't this low when I joined the NHS over 20 years ago. Nurses and teachers were historically 'woman' jobs so not paid accordingly- that needs to be changed and as a graduate job needs to be paid as such.

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PearlclutchersInc · 15/12/2022 08:07

User175435643 · 15/12/2022 08:02

I didn't clap for anyone and the nurses did know what the pay scales were before they chose a poor paying career, it is quite easy to find, its like teachers jobs, why choose a career that pays so low in the first place

What a ridiculous pov. People should be paid properly regardless of the field. Nurses are professionals and their jobs carry great responsibility.

User175435643 · 15/12/2022 08:08

If there are set pay scales, its pretty obvious what you are likely to earn

validnumber · 15/12/2022 08:09

Northernsouloldies · 15/12/2022 07:40

Nurse strike article on bbc news on line. A few articles down Boris has reportedly earned a million pounds since quitting Pm job, for making some speeches. Something far wrong with that scenario.

This x 100

Spudina · 15/12/2022 08:12

@User175435643 I’ve been a nurse over 20 years. My pay has gone down 20% in the last decade. It wasn’t an all degree profession when I joined but now it is, and needs to be paid accordingly. We have no hope of filling the 50,000 empty posts if we can’t offer a competitive graduate salary.

Flapjacker48 · 15/12/2022 08:15

You have misunderstood or she has, once strike dates have been announced then A/L will not be granted (unless in an genuine emergency) hence she won't be "paid" for going on strike. A/L granted before strike dates announced usually honoured.

NerrSnerr · 15/12/2022 08:16

User175435643 · 15/12/2022 08:08

If there are set pay scales, its pretty obvious what you are likely to earn

I think you're taking the piss but you do realise that pay has to increase over the years to keep up with the cost of living? So the whole pay scale has to rise.

Can't decide if you genuinely can't understand this or you're just winding us up.

upfucked · 15/12/2022 08:19

User175435643 · 15/12/2022 07:48

So what happens if there is a disaster like in the channel yesterday, there will be no one to tend to them.

But this is unfortunately a daily situation. There aren’t enough nurses now to care for patients. People are dying on non strike days due to lack of staff. This is what they are trying to address.

MissyB1 · 15/12/2022 08:20

If she had AL booked she’s fully entitled to take it. Not that’s it’s anyone else’s business, and it doesn’t affect you personally does it OP? Mind your own business!!

Reallybadidea · 15/12/2022 08:25

User175435643 · 15/12/2022 07:43

And Boris earnings still way below football players and some TV presenters

Show quote history

But at least footballers haven't actively made this country a worse place to live.

ABBAsnumberonefan · 15/12/2022 08:26

User175435643 · 15/12/2022 08:02

I didn't clap for anyone and the nurses did know what the pay scales were before they chose a poor paying career, it is quite easy to find, its like teachers jobs, why choose a career that pays so low in the first place

Great! We won’t have any nurses then, shall we not?

Their pay has gone down in real terms due to inflation, same for civil servants and may others in the public sector. People who went into jobs to help others / society cannot afford to stay in these jobs as. No new people will join the professional and existing ones will leave if things stay the way it is.

Imagine what life would be like if no one had ever, ever gone on strike?

dollybird · 15/12/2022 08:39

Spudina · 15/12/2022 08:12

@User175435643 I’ve been a nurse over 20 years. My pay has gone down 20% in the last decade. It wasn’t an all degree profession when I joined but now it is, and needs to be paid accordingly. We have no hope of filling the 50,000 empty posts if we can’t offer a competitive graduate salary.

I think this needs to be the focus of the argument, rather than 'nurses are using food banks', as there are many many people earning much less than nurses. Perhaps those people don't feel sympathy with the nurses, and maybe lots of people still think nursing is still like it was in the sixties, when it is a much higher skilled role now.

I'm interested to know if the RCN are asking for all AfC salaries to be increased by 5% above inflation, or just nurses? If just nurses, would that be only those in a clinical role, or any role that requires a qualified nurse (ie some CCG roles)? Just thinking it could require a massive overhaul of the pay system (not nurses problem, I appreciate). But if all AfC salaries were increased the cost would be astronomical.

Labradooor · 15/12/2022 08:44

Not sure you can seriously link the channel crossings to the nurse striking.

Flapjacker48 · 15/12/2022 08:47

@dollybird I doubt the RCN are actually wanting it, but there is zero chance of AfC pay scales not being changed as a whole (i.e there will not be a return to different pay scales for different roles)

BirmaBrite · 15/12/2022 08:49

I didn't clap for anyone and the nurses did know what the pay scales were before they chose a poor paying career, it is quite easy to find, its like teachers jobs, why choose a career that pays so low in the first place

I think you have hit the nail on the head, why get into loads of debt training for a poor paying career, why stay in a job which is a poor paying career ? A lot of nurses are leaving the profession exactly because it is now considered a poor paying career. A poor paying career with high stress levels ( the ever present and real worry that something you do or don't do might directly result in someone's death) , atrocious unsafe staffing levels, and which you have to carry on doing until you hit 67 to be able to claim your pension.

HotChoxs · 15/12/2022 08:51

unbelievable that people are bothered about this but not the state of healthcare

Chisquared · 15/12/2022 08:54

User175435643 · 15/12/2022 08:02

I didn't clap for anyone and the nurses did know what the pay scales were before they chose a poor paying career, it is quite easy to find, its like teachers jobs, why choose a career that pays so low in the first place

True for new nurses. But it we have actually not had a proper pay rise in 10 years. Yes 10 years. Pay freezes, pay in real terms is 20% less than in 2010, nurses pay has fallen twice as much as private sector pay. That's before we even start on what it's like in the NHS at the moment.
I have been nurse for 40 years, have a senior clinical role, a Masters degree and my 21 year old about to graduate son has has a job offer on a salary more than mine.

loislovesstewie · 15/12/2022 09:02

What irritates me about some of the comments(!)is , that if we can pretend that something has a 'calling' not a job ,not a profession then the employee has to put up with low pay and all sorts of rubbish conditions to that profession or job. So, for example low pay; or not being able to have a proper break to eat or drink, or being asked to change a shift at short notice etc. I'm sure that nurse and other HCP love their jobs, but they still need to live, to eat to pay their bills and to have time off. The answer from some is 'go and get another job' so that means that we would have no one to do those jobs.The answer is to overhaul pay in general.

awaynboilyurheid · 15/12/2022 09:20

User175435643 · 15/12/2022 08:02

I didn't clap for anyone and the nurses did know what the pay scales were before they chose a poor paying career, it is quite easy to find, its like teachers jobs, why choose a career that pays so low in the first place

This has got to be the winner of the most a ridiculous post on mumsnet, thank god some people DO choose this career because if you’ve ever been in hospital seriously ill then you’d realise how much need them! Doctors pop in and out but it’s the skill of the nursing staff that keep patients alive.
But choosing this career doesn’t mean with inflation rising we can continue to let the salary slide even lower, not for a tough physically and emotionally demanding job in long shifts. They deserve a huge salary increase.

RafaistheKingofClay · 15/12/2022 09:21

User175435643 · 15/12/2022 08:08

If there are set pay scales, its pretty obvious what you are likely to earn

You wouldn’t necessarily expect a decade of below inflation pay rises leaving you unable to put food on the table though.
And they are quitting in droves to find better paying jobs. Good luck with attempting to get any form of healthcare when the ones we have are leaving and we are unable to recruit more because they can get paid better elsewhere.

barneshome · 15/12/2022 09:27

If they are unhappy with how much they earn they should get another job

Grumpybutfunny · 15/12/2022 09:30

User175435643 · 15/12/2022 08:02

I didn't clap for anyone and the nurses did know what the pay scales were before they chose a poor paying career, it is quite easy to find, its like teachers jobs, why choose a career that pays so low in the first place

Because not everything is about money. It's not just the pay scales its the fact that pay has fallen in real term year on year since people signed up. Agenda for change started in 2008 if they go back to those pay scales and match it in real term to todays price that will go some way to solving the crisis. The other issue is the constant down banding that has happened over the last 14 years so what was a band 8 when the pay scales came out is now a band 7 or even sneaking into a band 6 etc. This combined with the fact having a poor salary is now less practical than even 5 years ago is causing more and more people to leave so those that are left are picking up more and more for less money.

The government could also do so much for little cost even writing off student loans after day 5 or 10 years would help.

But to solve the crisis what needs to happen is an independent job review again (it's 14 years since the last one) with matching not only job to job within the sector but also with private sector pay.

taybert · 15/12/2022 09:35

barneshome · 15/12/2022 09:27

If they are unhappy with how much they earn they should get another job

That’s exactly what they are doing, which is why there aren’t enough nurses. That’s why wards are understaffed. That’s why patient safety is compromised. Nursing is a degree level career but the pay and conditions are unattractive so people don’t want to do it. It’s not that hard to understand.