Do you agree with the nurses strike?

[borderterrierr]

Guardian reporting that the rcn strike has resulted in a yes vote and we'll be striking before Christmas.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/nov/05/nurses-across-uk-vote-to-strike-in-first-ever-national-action?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

Patient's emergency care will be protected but it's a strike vote

Yes.

I will be striking.

HCAs have their own Ballot papers now. Voting closes 25th Nov.

@lolalouisa84 thanks. I think they should defo strike. Healthcare is in such a bad way atm. Like I say I'm private and currently on just short of £20 p/h. I think that's borderline acceptable. The responsibility that we have and the job that we do is not fairly reflected in our pay.

Yes 100%

Shame the multitude of other professions who are on the same pay structure (AFC ) wouldn't support nurses since they will benefit if the strike is successful.

@Pickledhen who does not support nurses? I am ex-NHS, was employed on AfC while in NHS and every person I know in NHS - both AfC pay scale and Drs - are in full support of nursing strike. I have a 15 year history with NHS before going to private sector and am still in touch with a lot of people across many professions

What is a nurses pay?

30 years qualified, 22 on ICU, £12.19 ph. You bet I'm flexi retiring in the next few months 😢

@tiredwardsister it’s such a divisive offer. Totally agree improved very much should belong in inverted commas

£12.19 ph after tax that should say.

Yes.

100% in support. I was in hospital this year and the nurses care and knowledge was far superior to the useless Doctors. They were heavily understaffed, run off their feet and exhausted. On top of this I witnessed daily verbal abuse and racial abuse. I honestly couldn’t say one bad word against any one of them and was so grateful for their time and patience.

Who says others won't strike? Unison ballot papers only came out this week. Ahps haven't voted yet... But a straw pole of my colleagues says we're striking.

Personally I'm ok. B6, working in the community, breadwinner in our family of 4 and we're sufficiently well off. However the NHS is on its knees and I think hospital staff get a much rougher deal than we do. On the basis that the whole point of unions is solidarity, for the sake of the NHS, I'm voting to strike.

Yes

I totally support this. It is the only way that politicians and the wider public are going to actually be forced into action to improve things.

To fund it, I would:
Stop all vanity projects. Despite voting yes in 2014, that includes Scottish independence.

Raise income tax/Scotland use tax generating powers. We need the country to be healthy to work and drive growth.

Windfall taxes on gas/oil companies. Raise corporation tax in line with the rest of Europe.

Close tax loopholes for eg Amazon/Starbucks etc.

Reprioritise. Proper essentials eg NHS, police, local government etc would be funded, anything else, nope. Jollies to different countries for MPs stop (how much did Liz Truss spend on trips as foreign secretary?). Supporting former PMs, stop.

Newly qualified mental health nurses routinely are expected to work alone no other nurses no doctors no back up in charge of a couple of agency or bank HCAs if your lucky a HCA that knows the ward and 14 odd patients. It's insane out there at the moment. I'd take a pay cut to be able to give the patient care that is deserved. No one trains for this, people really have no clue about the pressures in some areas.

@Pickledhen Who's saying the other professions don't and won't support the RCN? Many nurses and others are in Unison who have just started their ballot. Other professions in different unions are all holding ballots but at varying times for varying reasons. Now the interesting thing would be if all the unions agreed to have their strike or work to rule at the same time....

Yes. It's the norm here to have 2 nurses looking after 30 patients. It's not safe. HCAs are expected to take Observations with no training. It's crazy.

Every doctor I know supports the nurses. And looking at striking also

Yes, agree 100%, fuck the Tories.

I'm a support worker/HCA. I'm in theatres now, but started out on a medical ward. It was bad enough 5 years ago. I dread to think what what it's like now.

Pay for nurses is truly abysmal for the training they have to have, the responsibilities they shoulder, and the conditions they have to endure.

I fully support the strike, and hope the other unions vote likewise.

Yes, 100%

Yes.

Anyone who is against it obviously have no idea how disgustingly underpaid and overworked they are. Or they have a Tory mindset and just don’t give a shit.

That is not true. A qualified ICU nurse gets far more than that. According to Indeed the average hourly pay for an ICU nurse is £27.83.

This is what annoys me. Nurses are overworked but there is a lot of shit talked about salaries that is not true. Nurses in their first year are low paid, but it quickly rises.

@antelopevalley

That is factually incorrect. ITU have band 5 nurses, you can remain band 5 for your entire career, top of band 5 pay is £12.19 per your take home pay.

I had the misfortune of being at a leaving function for a nurse within our team where a social worker while discussing the impending vote , laughed and rubbed her hands and said we will just let the nurses do the dirty work and reap any potential rewards but not have to go on strike. I had to walk away I was so angry. I'm a nurse of nearly 40 years and sadly this attitude isnt unheard of elsewhere.