Equity has extended its solidarity to members of the British Medical Association (BMA) following remarks made today by the Health Secretary and Prime Minister accusing the union of “holding the country to ransom”. The comments, made amid the continuing dispute over pay and conditions for resident doctors, have drawn widespread criticism from across the trade union movement.
Equity members, like doctors, and workers across the economy, are tired of having hard won pay and conditions eroded. Pay restoration for doctors is a moderate demand, and the Health Secretary and Prime Minister would do well to be working tirelessly to reach an agreement for doctors and patients alike, rather than grandstanding like bad bosses in the media.
Paul W Fleming, Equity General Secretary
Up to 50,000 resident doctors are currently on strike in the UK until 7am on Wednesday 30 July. This follows a breakdown in negotiations between the BMA and the government, with 90% BMA members voting YES in a recent industrial action ballot. The BMA argues that their junior members are facing a pay erosion of 21% “or put another way, resident doctors are still working more than a fifth of their time for free” and say that a pay uplift of 26% is needed to reverse this.
Equity stands firmly alongside the BMA in defending the right to organise and take industrial action in pursuit of fair pay and conditions.
Paul W Fleming, Equity General Secretary, said:
“The clue is supposed to be in the name of the Labour Party, let alone a Labour Government that they stand on the side of working people. Far from undermining the union movement, as the Health Secretary has preposterously claimed today, that the British Medical Association has surpassed the draconian hurdles to industrial action strengthens the lot of all working people.
“Equity members, like doctors, and workers across the economy, are tired of having hard won pay and conditions eroded. Pay restoration for doctors is a moderate demand, and the Health Secretary and Prime Minister would do well to be working tirelessly to reach an agreement for doctors and patients alike, rather than grandstanding like bad bosses in the media.
“To adapt Equity's motto: to all artists good work, to all workers good art, and to all doctors: fair pay. Solidarity."
