Junior doctors in England start fresh strike over pay dispute with government

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - Junior doctors across England on Saturday started another round of strike action in their long-running pay dispute with the government.

Dr. Robert Laurenson and Dr. Vivek Trivedi, the British Medical Association's (BMA) junior doctors committee co-chairs, expressed their disappointment in the government's failure to present a “credible pay offer” to address the longstanding issue.

Laurenson and Trivedi in a statement emphasized that the government could have averted the strikes by engaging in meaningful negotiations and offering reasonable terms.

"The government could have stopped these strikes by simply making a credible pay offer for junior doctors in England to begin reversing the pay cuts they have inflicted upon us for more than a decade," they said.

They also emphasized the toll that the ongoing dispute has taken on the health care system, with many doctors feeling exhausted, demoralized, and overworked.

"More and more colleagues who have simply had enough with the already 26% pay cut, are leaving the NHS (National Health Service) for better-paying jobs in Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere that value their workforce. All doctors are looking for is to reverse pay cuts and be paid the same, in real terms, as in 2008 - which looks like around £21 per hour instead of the current £15 per hour," they underlined.

The strikes will extend until Feb. 28.

Additionally, junior doctors are in the process of conducting a ballot among their members to secure a mandate for an additional six months of potential strike action starting in the spring.

A recent poll by market research company Savanta revealed that 53% of respondents voiced support for the strikes, while only 28% expressed opposition.