Breaking the NHS picket line

[helpidkwhattodopls]

I work in the NHS, non-clinical. Obviously there are junior doctor strikes coming up and I’m fully in support of them, but I have no choice but to go to work during the strikes. I can’t afford to take time off.

Our manager has given us a warning and said that we shouldn’t be taking the main route into the hospital during the strikes as apparently the striking staff can be very angry at you for breaking the picket. But I have no choice, I don’t drive into work so I have to go this way.

AIBU to ask what the hell I should do?????

Tell them to fuck off and grow up if they do.

Apparently they’ll get angry at patients too! It just all sounds a bit terrifying to me
absolute nonsense, you’re not on strike, just walk in the main entrance. No need for this drama from your manager, they’re doctors not gang members.

I'm non clinical in a hospital and have never had any animosity from striking doctors.

Your manager is talking out of their arse.

Or you're just trying to whip up anti strike sentiment

if a doctor started shouting /being mean to a patient for going into a hospital they wouldn’t have to worry about striking because they’d lose their job instead.

my experience of strikes is that most people on them stay home and have a nice lazy day or two and only a few people bother to go picket.

I fully support the strikes. I feel awful about coming into work while they’re striking, because I would rather be with them. I’ve only ever experienced this type of situation at university where a striking lecturer threw an egg at my bus because they said we were breaking the picket line and they had begged us to stay home in support of them! So that combined with my manager’s warning has me a bit on edge.

It's completely different. The doctors still support what the hospital does. They don't get angry at patients or colleagues.

If your manager has put this in writing to to hr. They are deliberately trying to scare you and that is completely unacceptable.

Did they really say that the doctors get angry at patients? That's a disgusting accusation to make

But it’s not your strike- it’s 100% expected that you work as normal.

Are you a doctor? If not, your post makes zero sense.

Anyway, some of our doctors strike and some don’t. No public animosity or physical violence ever seen.

This seems to me like someone trying to stir up animosity towards striking Doctors.
Of course you aren’t breaking a picket line if you’re not clinical. If this is for real then both you and your manager need to educate yourselves on what a strike is.
Absolutely ridiculous.

Your manager is being daft and I can't imagine the junior doctors will be at all abusive they will understand that you are going in to do your job and if you're an administrator then you'll have sorted all their clinics out for them!

Ok so I've been on loads of university picket lines and nothing like that has ever happened! We used to cheerily, jokily say to the students "skive off classes! support your striking lecturers!" but we were very much reminded of the law that picket lines could not be intimidating. Throwing something at a bus would absolutely have been against the (quite strict!) picketing laws.

Just give a cheery wave, say "I'm supportive of what you're doing," and bring some biscuits if you really feel like showing support. If you're not in the doctors union, you wouldn't be allowed to strike anyway!

Last junior drs strike I walked in past them with my child for their regular appointment. The dr we often see there waved and smiled! I wouldn’t worry

The picket line at my hospital has been pretty non existent during the last few strikes . As nurses we barely noticed it was happening as numbers were low.

Are you very young OP? Or just very naive 🤦‍♀️

I don’t believe that for a moment.

Your manager is talking shit!! Just go about your business.

There was a strike at my previous employer, a few of us decided to keep on working and there was absolutely no problem at all. Just said hi and had a bit of a chat when we went in.

It's not the 1970s you can decide what's best for you and your family. If anyone is unpleasant I'd report them for bullying. A strike or a picket doesn't give you a free rein to abuse colleagues.

Right, now I'm calling you out here OP for downright talking rubbish..
I work as a midwife and have seen the picket lines with the junior doctors at my own hospital.
They could not give a monkeys if you go to work, you are non clinical. You working affects their strike not one jot.

As for getting angry at patients you sound absolutely ridiculous. As a PP said this isn't the 1980's.
Get a grip and get to your work.

I was due to give birth during an NHS strike (can't remember the details) and there was quite a crowd and banners and loud hailers etc outside the hospital - it got me quite anxious prior.

Turns out that they were well away from the entrance and we just hooted our horn as we turned in and they all cheered and that was that.

You are not a doctor so you are not breaking a picket.

No doctor striking is asking their colleagues to stay off work.

No doctor would attempt to intimidate or harass other staff or patients and expect to keep their job.

It's not the miners shouting at scabs.....

Goady much ? Calling this post out as a load of old shit. Get a life

How big is this hospital that it would take an hour to reach another entrance? At average walking speed you would cover 3-4 miles in that time.

But it all sounds like nonsense anyway. There was a demonstration outside the hospital when I went for my mammogram. It was away from the entrance and didn’t interfere at all. My mum has had cancer treatment throughout the dr strikes without issue.

Your manager is talking utter rot op.

Your manager is talking nonsense. Consultant here who tooted my car horn to support the strikers last time, covered my share of their shifts and gave them homemade cake to fuel them during the cold.

The picket numbers are controlled as is the distance they can stand from the hospital entrance. None of ours even raised a voice at other resident doctors who were walking in to hospital. Maybe they are a single parent, maybe they need to be working in a qualifying week for maternity benefits, maybe they couldn’t afford to lose pay 🤷‍♀️ It was all very civilised, no doctor would wish to see themselves facing disciplinary action for such unruly conduct and no one would risk their registration for activities on a picket line.

Non issue.

Go to work as normal, ignore them in the highly unlikely event they shout or whatever.

I work at a big hospital. Never heard of this before. Just go to work as normal.