British nurses announce fresh strikes in January; PM ‘disappointed’ by disruption

Thousands of British nurses are set to stage a new round of strikes in January amid the biggest wave of industrial action over pay and working conditions across the country.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the registered trade union for nurses in the UK, made the announcement on Friday, saying thousands of nurses in Britain would go on strike again on two consecutive days, January 18 and 19, with further dates to be confirmed in the New Year.

The RCN said the British nurses had walked out on December 15 and 20 across the country over pay disputes.

The new dates from the trade union come days after the British health sector warned the government against the risk to patient safety, as a wave of industrial action is underway across the country over the Christmas holiday season.

Meanwhile, passengers at British airports were warned of delays after passport control staff walked out on Friday, the first day of a strike due to last until December 31.

More than 1,000 Border Force staff, who are employed by the British government, were expecting to strike following industrial action by nurses, paramedics, and workers in the rail and postal sectors even as they had been offered a 2 percent pay rise, far below the UK inflation rate, which stood at 10.7 percent in November.

Border Force expressed apologies for any disruption for travelers entering Britain and said it was working with partners across the travel industry to support the inflow of passengers and goods. 

The British government said it was training members of the armed forces and government officials to help staff passport controls at airports and ports amid nationwide strikes by various unions.

Read more:

• Thousands of UK ambulance workers join nurses in strike over pay

PM ‘disappointed’ by disruption caused by strikes

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was at pains to confirm that he was disappointed about the disruption caused by strikes by unions representing workers in sectors including rail, health and border staff.

“I’m really sad and disappointed about the disruption that has been caused to so many people’s lives, particularly at Christmas time,” Sunak told reporters.

The UK’s most intense strike wave for decades is a response to an inflation rate running at 40-year highs and a cost-of-living crisis driven by soaring food and energy prices in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.

As a result of the industrial action, people across the UK face postponed hospital appointments, canceled trains, and travel delays during the winter holiday season. But opinion polls have suggested a high level of support for the workers.

The army has been put on standby to help drive and direct emergency vehicles, as ambulance crews are due to walk out again on December 28.

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