Rishi Sunak said he won’t back down in a pay dispute with National Health Service staff that is leading nurses and ambulance drivers to go on strike, saying his UK government is prioritizing curbing inflation.
(Bloomberg) — Rishi Sunak said he won’t back down in a pay dispute with National Health Service staff that is leading nurses and ambulance drivers to go on strike, saying his UK government is prioritizing curbing inflation.
Read More: Britons Told to Call an Ambulance Only If Life Is in Danger
“If we get it wrong and we’re still dealing with high inflation in a year’s time, that’s not going to help anybody,” Sunak told a Parliament committee Tuesday. Asked about nurses, the prime minister said: “The best way to help them and help everyone else is to get a grip and reduce inflation as quickly as possible.”
Disruption within the NHS poses a major political challenge for Sunak, whose government is offering nurses and other public sector workers pay increases below the current rate of inflation. That risks angering voters, as polls show support for better pay for NHS staff following their efforts in the pandemic.
The joint actions by nurses and ambulance workers are adding to a growing malaise in the NHS, which is struggling with staff shortages and waiting lists for operations. The UK faces labor unrest on a variety of fronts over the holiday season, with postal, transport and other workers also taking action.
But the government argues that above-inflation pay rises would further stoke rising prices and would also be unfair on private sector workers, where pay increases have been generally lower than inflation.
The government has said its pay proposals reflect the recommendations of independent pay review bodies. Yet labor unions argue they are not fully independent because they operate within parameters set by the government.
Ambulance drivers are due to strike on Wednesday and the military is on standby to send 600 drivers and 150 support staff to fill in, but they can’t drive above the speed limit or pass red traffic lights.
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