Nursing strikes to go ahead after claims government refused pay negotiations

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has announced strikes across the UK will go ahead, after claiming the government refused to enter pay negotiations.

The union had offered to suspend the proposed action if Health Secretary Steve Barclay agreed to negotiate properly on pay.

But negotiations between the union and the government health boss have seemingly failed - with the nurses pushing on with planned strikes on December 15 and December 20 over pay and working conditions.

RCN general secretary and chief executive, Pat Cullen said: "I asked several times to discuss pay and each time we returned to the same thing – that there was no extra money on the table, and that they would not be discussing pay with me.

“I needed to come out of this meeting with something serious to show nursing staff why they should not strike this week. Regrettably, they’re not getting an extra penny.

“Ministers had too little to say and I had to speak at length about the unprecedented strength of feeling in the profession.

“I expressed my deep disappointment at the belligerence that was shown – they closed their books and walked away.”

The strikes come amid a wave of industrial action in multiple sectors as people's wages are fast outstripped by soaring inflation.

Nurses say they have been left feeling "burnt out" working 13-hour shifts without breaks owing to low staffing numbers and demanding paperwork, while also struggling to pay their bills.

Last month, the RCN balloted more than 300,000 of its members in what was the largest ever vote in the union’s 106-year history.

Plans for strikes in Scotland have however been paused after the Scottish Government agreed to return to the negotiating table.