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UK health workers strike

October 13, 2014

Hundreds of thousands of workers of the UK's state-run National Health Service have gone on strike in a bid to secure a pay rise for all. But the government is not amused, saying job cuts would be a logical consequence.

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NHS strike action
Image: Reuters/Stefan Wermuth

Unions said up to 400,000 of the National Health Service's 1.3 million staff joined a nationwide four-hour strike Monday, marking the their first industrial action since 1982.

The work stoppage came after the government's rejection of a blanket pay rise that had been suggested by an independent panel. The latter had spoken out in favor of a below-inflation, 1-percent wage increase for all health service staff.

British Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt had earlier agreed to implement the 1-percent rise, but only for the 45 percent of workers not already receiving an incremental salary hike.

Hardened fronts

"The majority of NHS staff get an automatic 3-percent increment, but we can't afford to give 1-percent rise to people already getting that," Hunt argued.

Union leaders said low increases plus inflation meant the value of NHS pay had fallen by 12 percent since 2011.

But the government insisted it was of the essence to do the right thing for patients. "It would be irresponsible for any health secretary to accept a pay package that means the NHS has to lay off nurses," Hunt maintained.

hg/sgb (dpa, AFP)