There has been some fervour for strike action this year, with widespread disruption caused by postal and rail workers, among others, downing tools on several occasions. In the NHS, nurses and ambulance staff led the way.
In summer, it was GPs who were exploring the possibility of industrial action in response to the Government’s recommendations of a 4.5% pay rise, which was deemed ‘derisory and divisive’.
At a meeting in July, the GPC unanimously passed a motion mandating the England Committee’s executive team to bring discussions to the BMA Council’s table.
The 4.5% pay award applies to eligible salaried GPs and dentists but excludes GP partners who are bound by the terms of their current contract, which limits year-on-year pay rises to 2%.
Practice staff under the Agenda for Change contract could be in line for an uplift of £1,400 or more.
However, in the absence of additional funding for practices they may not be able to meet the meagre pay increase.
The debacle around junior doctors’ pay prompted further anger, with the Junior Doctors Committee (JDC) also threatening industrial action if the Government didn’t sort it out. As things stand, ballot boxes will open on 9 January.
All this prompted the BMA to establish £2 million ‘strike fund’ – the first in its history – to cover the costs of balloting members and doctors walking out, should it come to that.
At the same time, the BMA told Pulse that preparations for industrial action were in the early stages. Exactly what form any action by GPs would take was still undetermined.
It seems GP leaders were still unsure when they gathered at the LMCs conference in November.
There, attendees voted in favour of pressing ahead with balloting GP members on industrial or collective action if the government fails to implement ‘meaningful’ changes to the contract from next year onwards.
But ears on the ground tell us that GPs couldn’t agree on what type of action they’d be willing to take. Talk of a full-scale walkout was met with concern, but something along the lines of limiting workload garnered more support.
Meanwhile, at the time of writing 100,000 Royal College of Nursing members are expected to take part in 12-hour strikes on two dates in December. The BMA, ahead of the disruption, urged doctors to support their nursing colleagues on the picket line.
While it remains to be seen how protests will pan out, there is one thing everybody is apparently agreed on: action speaks louder than words.
