Young doctors in the public sector in England begin an eleventh five-day strike on Thursday to demand salary increases, putting pressure on the next government one week before the July 4 legislative elections.
Their British Medical Association (BMA) union had hinted at the possibility of canceling this strike in the middle of the electoral campaign if the conservative government of Rishi Sunak had committed to increasing the salaries of these doctors, of whom there are nearly 70,000 in England.
He also warned that other strikes could take place this summer if negotiations with the next government do not advance “in a timely manner”.
This eleventh movement of “junior doctors”, whose status is comparable to that of interns in France, once again highlights the crisis in the public health system (NHS), one of the major issues of these legislative elections.
It comes at a time when the NHS is experiencing a hemorrhage of health professionals and is struggling to absorb the gigantic waiting lists of patients for treatment or surgery.
The BMA also revealed that it had started discussions with the Labor Party, which is leading in the polls and should form the next British government unless there are any surprises.
Wes Streeting, who would become health minister if Labor is elected, has promised to open negotiations the day after the election if his party is victorious on July 4.
The “junior doctors”, who make up almost half of the doctors in England, began their movement more than a year and a half ago. They observed their longest strike in the history of the NHS in January, with six consecutive days of walkouts.
The BMA wants a catch-up of 35%, taking into account the drop in purchasing power due to inflation, to serve as the starting point for discussions.
Wes Streeting has already indicated that he would not grant such an increase all at once, but that there was “space to open a discussion” about their pay and improving their working conditions.
At the beginning of April, experienced doctors or “consultants” of the NHS accepted an offer from the government, ending a historic strike which had also seriously disrupted the functioning of the health system.
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