Health secretary ‘left with no different but to proceed with approved action’ in opposition to nurses’ strike
The manager will rob a nursing union to court in an are attempting and prevent its most modern strike action.
Participants of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) are attributable to scamper out for forty eight hours from 8pm on Sunday evening till 8pm on Tuesday 2 Could after rejecting the most modern pay provide from the executive.
Nonetheless Steve Barclay, the health secretary, has written to RCN boss Pat Cullen, asserting the union’s present six-month strike mandate runs out at nighttime on 1 Could.
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After talks to resolve the dispute final week failed, Mr Barclay mentioned: “I attributable to this truth regretfully supplied survey of my intent to pursue approved action with a come sooner or later of to keeping sufferers, NHS workers and RCN people whilst persevering with to search out a technique to resolve this by legitimate channels.”
Ms Cullen mentioned the RCN had told the executive such action changed into “horrid and indefensible” but “the risk sadly changed into a truth”.
In an e-mail to people, she added: “The handiest way to tackle bullies is to face as much as them – at the side of in court.
“It’s so horrid for the executive to exhaust taxpayers’ money to scamper our profession by the courts.
“We’re certain to characterize that the nursing profession is sturdy and likely and defend our people’ staunch to strike.”
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Hundreds of nurses are attributable to strike for the Could monetary institution holiday
In an announcement released after the knowledge broke, Mr Barclay mentioned he had been “left with no different but to proceed with approved action”.
He added: “I firmly toughen the correct to rob industrial action throughout the law – but the executive can no longer stand by and let a evidently unlawful strike action crawl forward nor ignore the build a matter to of NHS Employers.
“We ought to also give protection to nurses by ensuring they don’t seem like requested to rob portion in an unlawful strike.”
Ms Cullen confirmed people wouldn’t be requested to scamper out if the court ruled in opposition to them, asserting: “If the executive succeeds in silencing people care for you and convinces the court to stop portion of our strike, then we’ll do no longer beget any different but to decrease it short.”
She added: “Our strike action has consistently been protected and approved. We would never quiz our people to realize the relaxation unsafe or in opposition to your legit code.”