The new British government and the union representing junior doctors in England announced a deal Monday that includes big pay rises aimed at ending unprecedented strike action sparked by high inflation.
The price hike two years ago led to numerous industrial disputes in the UK, some of which have still not been resolved.
While the previous Conservative government was very tough on strikers, Labour decided upon coming to power at the beginning of July to relaunch direct negotiations with several categories such as doctors and railway workers.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has announced that it has received an offer from the government of significant pay increases spread over several years, resulting in an average increase of 22.3% for ’employees’. junior doctors “.
The proposal now goes to a vote by BMA members, who recommend approving it.
The organization was demanding a 35% catch-up, taking into account the drop in purchasing power suffered in recent years due to inflation.
While stressing that the offer did not “compensate for the salary losses suffered over the past 15 years”, the organisation considered that it was “a good step forward for the profession” and that it marked the return of “a constructive spirit”.
Finance Minister Rachel Reeves welcomed “a fair offer” and “an opportunity to start afresh” between doctors and the government.
THE ” junior doctors “, who make up almost half of all doctors in England, launched their movement more than a year and a half ago. In January they observed their longest strike in the history of the NHS, with six consecutive days of walkouts.
The new Labour government has made it a priority to fix the NHS, which is in crisis with huge waiting lists of patients seeking treatment and a haemorrhage of professionals.