First NHS pay strike for 30 years

Members of RCM outside Newham hospital, East London, photo Helen Pattison (Click to enlarge)

On 13 October, NHS workers in six unions - Unison, Unite, GMB, Royal College of Midwives (RCM), Ucatt and British Association of Occupational Therapists - went on strike for four hours, the first NHS pay strike for three decades.

A midwife from Shropshire told the Socialist why her union was striking for the first time ever.

The RCM voted 82.2% to support the action. Usually the last thing on our minds is to withdraw our labour. However, many of us feel that if this stand is not made, maternity services will be thrown into chaos.

Many women have reported they have not received one-to-one care when they are in labour due to a chronic shortage of midwives, which has continued for over a decade.

There's an estimated national shortage of 2,300 but the RCM say the real figure is closer to 5,000 as many midwives are close to retirement.

Morale of midwives is so low that a third with less than ten years' experience are planning to quit within the next year. Many have to work overtime to make ends meet. Pension contributions have increased, with the retirement age going up to 65 or over.

The RCM estimate midwives work an average of at least eight hours unpaid overtime a month, working through breaks and after the shift has ended to ensure women receive the care they deserve.

To follow the strike, the RCN has withdrawn for one week all the unpaid overtime that we would normally do.

All midwives are asking for is a 1% pay rise, as recommended by the pay review body. We are not asking for anything like the 11% pay rise that has been recommended for MPs. If midwives were given pay rises in line with inflation since 2010 our annual pay would be Ł4,000 higher.

See strike picket line reports at www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/19483

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