Junior doctors could take industrial action after being left out of the 3% pay increase offered to other doctors and NHS staff.
The BMA, which branded the decision an ‘insult’, today launched a survey of tens of thousands of members in England as it decides how to respond to the Government’s proposals to override calls for the 2% increase agreed before the pandemic.
The survey will determine if the junior doctors want the BMA to take action – including the potential for industrial action – on their behalf.
Its junior doctor committee has already warned the Government’s failure to recognise the efforts of junior doctors throughout the pandemic has devalued the enormous contribution they have made.
As part of their Fairness of the Frontline campaign, the doctor’s union is calling for fair pay for junior doctors following the unprecedented demands of the pandemic which it said had taken a serious toll on the mental and physical health of junior doctors.
It said despite the success of the changes introduced in the junior contract in 2019, the exclusion from the higher pay uplift this year also comes off the back of a 23% real-terms decline (RPI) in the estimated take-home pay of the average junior doctor in England in 2019/20 compared to 2008/09.
BMA junior doctors committee chair Dr Sarah Hallett said: ‘Given the significant lengths that junior doctors have gone to throughout the pandemic and the profound impact this has had on their personal and professional lives, the Government’s decision to exclude them from the pay uplift announced last month is nothing short of insulting.
‘The 3% is not an adequate uplift for any of our vital NHS staff, but in refusing to award the additional 1% to junior doctors in England above their multi-year pay deal, ministers have effectively devalued their enormous and lifesaving contributions over the last 18 months.
‘The last 18 months have been amongst the most challenging for junior doctors in recent history, and they have worked tirelessly to treat patients and protect the nation against this deadly virus, at times even placing their own lives at risk.
‘Understandably, many doctors will be angry and feel deflated that the Government has chosen not to recognise their efforts with a fair reward.
‘As exhausted junior doctors continue to make incredible sacrifices whilst facing the largest ever backlog of care, it is time for the Government to urgently reconsider their approach and ensure that junior doctors get the fair uplift they deserve.’
More to follow…
20% minimum
premium pay for all overtime
preium pay fos sats suns bank holidays
and better holiday entitlement
and more medical students without increase in number of jobs will depress pay eventually
Wait for the clap, wait, oh… it’s not coming anymore.
Industrial Action——–believe it when I see it
Junior Drs do much of the bulk of all the day to day Dr work in the NHS. This absolutely stinks..for the love of God please go on strike. Consultants and GPs never will..too many vested interests and too much to loose and with the GMC breathing down our necks its just a non starter. You are the only Drs who realistically can go on strike. Do us all a favour and get on and do it.
Since the last time the BMA “represented” the juniors why would they bother voting or rejoining to vote.The BMA are toothless and are not a union in the true sense.
This constant vilification of the GPC & BMA is totally unfair. The pension strike several years ago was a damp squib because most GPs had their cardigans and slippers so firmly attached that they couldn’t possibly risk not seeing a few snotty noses in favour of doing themselves some good.
We all moan and groan about how useless PCNs have proven in stabilising the situation and reducing workload but 99% still sign up to it and the endless pointless ES tacked on.