Doctors' strike? What do you think?

[Solopower]

I think it's gong to be on 21 June, unless they can negotiate a solution with the NHS Employers' organisation (whoever they are).

Are they right to strike to protect their pensions?

Definitely.

The government are shifting everyone over pensions and they can't expect to get away with it without any opposition.

Someone will come along shortly and make a comment about how much doctors earn which isn't the point at all.

• Shafting

it's not strike it's strategic action, essential cover maintained. non essential ops, appointments affected. no direct action affecting patients
and fundamentally all workers have right to withhold labour when unhappy

Good for them.

They can protest all they like with strategic action or whatever, it won't make any difference. The countrly is broke and the days of gold plated state sector pensions are over.

There is already a thread about this in AIBU.
dressdown spot on about some comments, although some seemed to get very heated about the fact that doctors aren't proper doctors like PhDs .

It's very well documented that GPs got an extremely lucrative pay-deal a few years ago because civil servants bodged the negotiation. If they're being asked to pay more towards their pension it's only fair.

If you look at how many houra doctors do compared to the hours they put in then you'll see their pay isnt all that amazing.

Dp is just about to start his foundation 1 year. His basic salary? 22k. I get paid more than this for a non-skilled job.

I support anyone right to strike

utterly pointless - the country is a mess thanks to Gordon Brown's reckless borrowing - the gold-plated pension days are over - wake-up!

What's Gordon Brown got to do with the price of cheese?? David Cameron isn't exactly leading by example is he?!

My Ex was a doctor. He would do 18 hour shifts with no protected sleep, be begging a manager for a bed for someone knowing the manager was earning more than him, having to explain clinical decisions to someone who was qualified in business management FFS. He's told parents their child will die, held the hands of people who have no one else in the world through awful news, he's seen major accidents, been threatened and assaulted. All in the four years I knew him. I would not take his wages or his pension for that job. It haunts you. You either switch off and get through it and accept the impact it will have on your life. Or you have a breakdown, alcohol and drug abuse is rife in doctors, not hard to see why.

Foundation 1 is hell Spotted, I wish you both luck and success, he'll need you more now than he ever did.

It is a tough job, particularly in the early years, but it is well rewarded financially later in the career. Bbc news said today that a junior doctor today would expect a pension of around 68k when she/he retires. I think to strike because that isn't enough, is unrealistic. I don't think I'll ever earn 68k in a year!

Actually I think they should strike regarding their working hours instead - 48 minimum per week is too much for such a stressful and emotionally demanding job.

But if we take away the benefits of the later years with that career path where's the incentive. I've earned 30k a year selling shit over the phone. I have no degree or skills.
My Ex was a bastard, I still don't begrudge him the money he will retire on.

"48 minimum per week is too much for such a stressful and emotionally demanding job." Agreed Sunny, but who would work the other hours? The pay makes up for the fact there's not enough of them and even if their time sheets says 12 hour shifts odds are they'll be there till and hour or two later doing notes, handovers and not leaving patients half way through an issue.

Debeez- I'm not looking forward to it! We're upping house and moving to the other end of the country. He is also going to have to work his arse off to pay off 20K worth of loans from the course before we can even start saving for a house.

I remember it well spotted, be sure to enjoy that gold plated pension last even though they're hoping to make him pay 28% of his wages into it, nevermind what you'll pay in tax.

In all seriousness it does get a bit easier the further he progresses. No one but the doctor or their partner will "get" exactly how hard it is though. Expect little sympathy and for people to start showing him their rashes and the like at parties.

48 hours isn't that much

Debeez- would you call me crazy of I revealed Im planning on going to medical school myself next year?

I support this action

My whole hearted support to them! The govt is trying to put us all against each other - he earns more, she gets more, it's only fair they lose at some level approach to thinking. The classic divide and rule policy, and it works. We should not let it. Making cuts and more cuts impacts all of us and i support all actions of protest and disagreement!

Doctors are greedy bastards. Who do you think is paying for all this? It's us. Most of us earn far, far less than doctors.

Let doctors operate under a free market, with no cartel allowed. They already earn far more than they would earn if forced to compete freely. Labour fucked up massively, the doctors asked for a ridiculous amount as a starting point for negotiations and Labour just accepted it.

This is just the whole pension debate all over again with another group who feel they are unfairly being treated.

Once again they cite pension arrangements made in good faith 4 years ago. A lot has changed since then. And the whole pension being sustainable thing is based upon the principle that the government can continue to fund their pension scheme. But the only way it can do that is to either borrow the money, cut services elsewhere or raise taxes elsewhere.

None of those options seem fair to me as a taxpayer. None of the cuts are fair. But neither do we have the money to fund everything we currently do.

Spotted, not crazy at all. If you were to tell me that I'd wish you all the luck in the world. To be honest I'd feel like thanking you, like I've said earlier, I couldn't do it.

I watched 24 hours in A&E last night. Watched the guy calling his partner "Can't leave yet, trauma just came in then another, I'll be home soon, it's so busy here" 3 hours after his shift he got to go home. I remember those calls well, explaining to family members, Ex will be late, Ex can't make it, Sorry DS Ex will be here as soon as his can, No DS Ex won't be here on Christmas day.

MP's get more than most doctors. I will not take their word that this has to be cut.