A nursing union, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), has voted to hold the first nationwide strike in its 106-year history.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the strike will affect the majority of NHS employers in the United Kingdom (UK) as nurses take action against pay levels and patient safety concerns SkyNews reports.
The RCN said that many of the biggest hospitals in England would see strike action but others “narrowly missed” the legal turnout thresholds required for action.
All National Health Service (NHS) employers in Northern Ireland and Scotland would be included and all bar one in Wales met the threshold, they added.
RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen said “Anger has become action – our members are saying enough is enough.
“The voice of nursing in the UK is strong and I will make sure it is heard. Our members will no longer tolerate a financial knife edge at home and a raw deal at work.
“Ministers must look in the mirror and ask how long they will put nursing staff through this.
“While we plan our strike action, next week’s budget is the UK government’s opportunity to signal a new direction with serious investment. Across the country, politicians have the power to stop this now and at any point.
“This action will be as much for patients as it is for nurses.
“Standards are falling too low and we have strong public backing for our campaign to raise them. This winter, we are asking the public to show nursing staff you are with us.”
The union had urged more than 300,000 of its members to vote for industrial action over pay in the first statutory ballot on industrial action across the UK in the 106-year history of the RCN.