The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned that nurses could go on strike again unless the government improves its 'completely unacceptable' 2.8% pay offer. Professor Nicola Ranger, the RCN's general secretary, said nurses had suffered a 25% real-terms erosion in pay since 2010 and deserved full restoration of lost earnings.
In an interview with the Guardian, Ranger said nurses could 'bare our teeth' in pursuit of a significant pay rise, echoing the approach of junior doctors who secured a 22% uplift after 11 rounds of strikes. She stressed that the union did not want strike action but would consider it if the government failed to offer a fair deal.
The RCN's annual congress begins on Monday in Liverpool, where pay will be a key issue. Ranger noted that the government's plans to improve the NHS would fail unless ministers addressed recruitment and retention problems by offering a meaningful pay increase.
However, NHS Employers chief executive Danny Mortimer said strike threats were unhelpful and called for dialogue rather than confrontation. He highlighted the financial pressures facing NHS trusts, which are implementing budget cuts ordered by NHS England's new chief executive.
Nurses in England previously staged eight days of strikes between December 2022 and May 2023, later receiving a one-off payment and a 5% rise for 2023-24. Meanwhile, resident doctors have launched a ballot for further strikes, demanding a 10% increase for 2025-26.
