The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) announced on Tuesday (June 27) that the threat of further strikes by British nurses had ended, as a vote on industrial action did not meet the legal threshold. Although the RCN received votes in favor of more strikes from 100,000 members, the voter turnout was only 43 percent, falling below the statutory minimum of 50 percent.
Nurses in England were voting on a six-month extension of strike action after rejecting a five-percent pay offer from the government. In April, RCN general secretary Pat Cullen stated that nurses were prepared to strike until Christmas if an improved offer was not presented.
Cullen acknowledged that the result would be disappointing but assured members that the fight for fair pay and safe staffing in the nursing profession and the National Health Service (NHS) was far from over. She expressed gratitude to those who participated in the vote and reminded them of their accomplishments.
While the majority of members who returned their ballot papers voted in favor of strike action, the RCN did not reach the 50 percent turnout threshold required to proceed with further strikes. Cullen mentioned that she would be meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday.
The NHS, a state-run healthcare system, has faced challenges due to successive walkouts by nurses. The NHS is striving to reduce waiting lists for appointments and treatment.
The nurses’ strikes were part of a series of strikes in both the public and private sectors, fueled by rising inflation and demands for wages to keep up with the increasing cost of living.
The health ministry described the nurses’ strikes as highly disruptive and called on other unions to resolve their disputes.
In addition to the nurses’ strikes, hospital doctors in England recently announced a five-day strike for the following month, which would be the longest strike in the NHS’s 75-year history.