London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Nurses strike to go ahead in Wales

Nurses strike to go ahead in Wales

The nurses strike planned for Wales will go ahead after the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Welsh government failed to come to a pay agreement.

Nurses in all but one health board in Wales will be striking on Thursday and 20 December.

The RCN said Health Minister Eluned Morgan had failed to put forward an increase to the current pay award.

The Welsh government said it could not make an increased pay offer without extra funding from the UK government.


Doctors, consultants, GPs and nurses in Wales are being offered a pay rise of between 4% and 5.5%

Helen Whyley, director of RCN Wales, said: "Strikes are inevitable in Wales because the Welsh government is making it so.

"This is the second time in as many weeks that the Welsh government have brought RCN Wales to a meeting where they clearly have no intention of coming to a resolution on our dispute."

She said the trade union was open for a "meaningful discussion" on pay for nursing, but this must be a significant increase.

"Low pay is fanning the flames of a workforce crisis, and the rising number of registered nurse vacancies is already putting patients at risk," she said.

"The pressure means nurses are caught between their responsibilities to their patients, their families, and their own health."

The RCN said nurses were "significantly" worse off than 10 years ago and the pay award on offer would leave them £1,000 worse off in real terms.

She added: "The Welsh government's prolonging of this unnecessary crisis is reckless, self-defeating, and in no one's interest."

In July, the lowest-paid nurses in Wales were offered a £1,400 flat pay increase, but, unions repeatedly argued this was not enough.

The strikes are expected to cause mass disruption, with thousands of routine operations and non-emergency appointments cancelled.

Some services are exempt from strike action, and will run as normal including chemotherapy, dialysis, intensive care and high dependency units, neonatal intensive care, paediatric intensive care, and accident and emergency departments.

The Welsh government said: "The minister for health and social services met again with NHS unions today.

"However, without additional funding from the UK government we are not able to make an increased pay offer without risking a reduction in services.

"Whilst we were unable to avert the forthcoming industrial action, all partners have agreed to keep talking and to continue to work together on key issues."

The UK government said: "The Welsh government is well-funded to deliver on its devolved responsibilities - we are providing a record £18bn per year settlement, which is still increasing in real terms over the 2021 Spending Review period."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×