Strong medicine

Junior doctors are not known for taking strike action. In fact it is over 40 years since they last did so.

But today (November 19), junior doctors have delivered the biggest ever vote in favour of national industrial action.

In a near unanimous vote, 98 per cent voted to take strike action, with only 2 per cent against and with only 11 spoilt ballot papers.

The BMA delivered one of the biggest ever returns in a national strike ballot, with three-quarters of all those balloted – 37,000 – returning their papers. It is a turn out well in excess of typical participation rates in UK elections.

It pips the 73.7 per cent turnout in Jeremy Hunt’s Surrey constituency in 2015, where he secured less than 60 per cent support from those who voted. This is significantly less support than the 98 per cent of junior doctors backing strike action.

But in typical Tory fashion, showing that no ballot thresholds will ever legitimise any strike action in the eyes of the government, Hunt condemned the three one-day strikes which will follow as “totally unwarranted”.

Hunt has threatened to impose a new contract which will slash junior doctors pay by nearly a third and, say doctors, pave the way for dangerous changes to working hours and undermine safe working practices. Hunt accuses the BMA of not attending negotiations while refusing to negotiate on almost every point in dispute.

Threatening

Hunt is threatening to impose a new contract next year if the doctors don’t agree to his demands. This can only be done by sacking every junior doctor and only taking back those who will sign the new contracts.

“This is a huge vote of no confidence in Jeremy Hunt,” commented Barrie Brown, Unite head of health.

“I’m not surprised that junior doctors have responded with such an overwhelming vote against the threats and lies of government.

 
“Jeremy Hunt’s seven day NHS working is a red herring, this is about cutting junior doctors pay and paving the way for unsafe working hours and practices. The entire NHS team will support our junior doctors in this dispute and in whatever action they chose.”

BMA council chair Mark Porter said, “We regret the inevitable disruption that this will cause but it is the government’s adamant insistence on imposing a contract that is unsafe for patients in the future, and unfair for doctors now and in the future, that has brought us to this point.

“Patients are doctors’ first priority, which is why, even with such a resounding mandate, we are keen to avert the need for industrial action. That’s why we have approached ACAS to offer conciliatory talks with the health secretary and NHS Employers to clarify the conflicting information coming from government over the past weeks.”

Dr Ron Singer, of Unite’s Medical Practitioners’ Union condemned the government’s actions.

He said, “The overwhelming vote of junior doctors to take strike action is a failure of the government’s treatment of another part of the NHS workforce which it fails to value.

“This strike represents a failure by government to accept that its proposals and decision to impose them are counter to safe medical practice, as well as to safe working practice.

“The last time junior doctors were driven to take drastic action was 1975, so doctors do not take such decisions lightly nor without due cause.

Unsafe

“Refusing to negotiate in good faith led the juniors to walk away. On offer was a contract that was unsafe for patients and unfair to the doctors.

“We will enlist support from other NHS members of Unite and other unions to offer their help within the law to work locally with BMA reps.

“We will exert whatever pressure we can to bring the government to its senses – drop the threat of imposition; open all aspects of the proposed contract to serious negotiation and thereby bring a swift end to this dispute.”

The dates and types of action include:

• Emergency care only — over 24 hours from 8 am on Tuesday 1 December to 8 am on Wednesday 2 December. This would see juniors provide the same level of service that happens in their given specialty, hospital or GP practice on Christmas Day
• Full walk-out — from 8 am to 5 pm, Tuesday 8 December
• Full walk-out — from 8 am to 5 pm, Wednesday 16 December.

Stay tuned to Unite Live for the latest on this dispute.