Walk-out is one of two industrial actions planned for coming weeks Junior doctors across Northern Ireland are today beginning a second round of industrial action over pay which will see them take part in a 48-hour strike. The full walk-out – which began at 7am – sees doctors withdraw their labour from hospitals and GP surgeries across Northern Ireland. Junior doctors – who range from being newly qualified doctors earning less than £13 per-hour to experienced surgeons, oncologists and cardiologists earning £30 per-hour – held their first walk-out on March 6.
This came after members of the British Medical Association’s (BMA) Northern Ireland junior doctors committee voted 97.6 per cent in favour of industrial action to restore pay to levels similar to 2008. Since then, junior doctors’ pay has been eroded by more than 30 per cent, according to the union.
“We did not want to have to escalate industrial action, but our key ask around pay, including a commitment to work towards full pay restoration, was rejected by the Health Minister. This left us with no choice but to escalate our action,” said Dr Fiona Griffin, chair of the BMA committee. The latest strike escalation is the first of two 48-hour full walk-outs planned by junior doctors in this ongoing dispute.
Unless a resolution can be found, a second strike action will take place in June. “The health service cannot function without junior doctors. Yet more and more of us are leaving or contemplating leaving .
