Responding to MPs voting to approve regulations to allow agency workers to replace striking workers and to increase the level of damages a court can award in the case of unlawful strike action, RCN Director of Employment Relations and Legal Services, Joanne Galbraith-Marten, said:
“This week, the public showed that they support nursing staff taking action to get the pay rise they deserve. Yet the proposals passed today in the House of Commons, seeking to undermine potential industrial action, are deeply undemocratic and unsafe for patients.
"Health professionals already face the most draconian anti-trade union laws. Any industrial action by our members is very carefully planned to keep patients safe already - bringing in less qualified or agency workers instead could put patients at risk.
"Silencing health workers silences the patient voice too.
“The House of Lords now have the chance to do the right thing and halt this cynical attack on nursing staff and patients.”
Ends
Notes to editors:
A recent RCN poll showed that public support for nursing staff taking industrial action in their fight for fair pay has risen sharply to almost half.
In May, around the time the UK saw a rise in discontent over pay, 42% of the respondents said they were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ likely to support nurses taking industrial action over their pay.
That figure has now risen to almost half (49%) amid the prospect of yet another below-inflation pay rise across multiple sectors, including nursing where ministers have suggested a 2% to 3% award.
Both polls were carried out by YouGov Plc. For the more recent poll, the total sample size was 1,488 adults in England. Fieldwork was undertaken between 23rd - 24th June 2022. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults in England (aged 18+).
Total sample size for the previous poll was 1,504 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 30th April - 2nd May 2022. The survey was carried out online. The figures were weighted and are representative of all adults in England (aged 18+).
