Junior doctors in England begin 'longest-ever strike' over pay dispute

By Behlul Cetinkaya

LONDON (AA) - Junior doctors in England who make up about 50% of the medical workforce, on Wednesday began a six-day walkout, the longest strike action in National Health Service (NHS) history.

Junior doctors, members of the British Medical Association (BMA), are on strike for a full six days on Jan 3-9 over an ongoing pay dispute, in what the association described as “the longest strike in NHS history.”

Gathering outside the St Thomas' Hospital in London, the BMA members protested the government's “insufficient” pay rise offer.

Speaking to Anadolu, Robert Laurenson, co-chair of the union's junior doctors committee, said that junior doctors faced a 26% loss in their salaries since 2008, due to a pay rise that is below inflation.

Reminding that they are offered a 3% rise while the inflation rate is 5.2%, he reiterated their demand for “pay restoration.”

Separately, the NHS warned of a "tough new year," amid strike action.

"Record industrial action this week could see one of the most difficult starts to the year for health services across the country," it said in a statement on Tuesday.

The BMA has said they aim to "achieve full pay restoration to reverse the steep decline" in pay faced by junior doctors since 2008-2009.

According to the NHS, in more than a full calendar year of action, strikes have seen more than 1.1 million inpatient and outpatient appointments rescheduled.