“The government offer is unfair and the strikes are the only way left for the junior doctors to express their protest”, a London-based editor and commentator, Javier Farje told Press TV.
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But the backlash was swift, with the BMA declaring it “cannot and will not accept” a contract it says is bad for patients and the NHS and warned it would “consider all options open to us” – a hint of a rolling programme of strikes.
“I have therefore today chose to that”.
The Government has announced it will impose its new contract on junior doctors after talks failed to reach agreement.
The chief executives of two Kent hospitals trusts have backed a controversial new contract set to be imposed on junior doctors.
The move came just a few hours after the latest 24-hour strike by junior doctors in Coventry, Warwickshire and around the country came to an end.
“(Today) we raise our voices again, on hundreds of picket lines across England”, said Johann Malawana, BMA junior doctors committee chair, in a message to junior doctors ahead of the industrial action. He added that those working 1 in 4 or more Saturdays will receive a pay premium of 30 per cent.
“We should be trying to build the morale of junior doctors, not stamping on them so hard they feel they have no alternative but to leave”.
They would apply to all new junior doctors immediately but would also be imposed as existing junior doctors changed their rotations – it is expected 80% would be on it within six months.
Mr Hunt said that the main dispute with the BMA was still around Saturday working and pay for unsocial hours, but insisted he had not rejected any proposals from the union.
The union argued it would have been cost neutral, meaning the Government would not pay any more than the £5bn now spent on junior doctor salaries.
The dispute centres around Mr Hunt’s plans for a new contract for junior doctors, which includes changes to weekend pay and other measures the BMA claims are unsafe for patients.
The BMA wants all day Saturday to be paid at 50 per cent above the basic rate but the government is willing to offer extra pay only after 5 pm onwards.
Meanwhile he insisted that no trainee working within contracted hours will have their pay cut. “It’s proof the government regards the views of hardworking NHS staff as worthless”.
“I don’t think the government have any idea how well they have undermined and demoralised us by trying to ram this through”.
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“We can expect to see more strike dates on the table if they do not start listening”.
