British Government Mulls Banning Strikes by Health Care Workers

In this file image, an ambulance passes demonstrators protesting during a strike by junior doctors outside the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital on April 26, 2016. Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images

Nurses working for the British National Health Service (NHS) could have their striking rights restricted as the government attempts to clamp down on the current wave of industrial action disrupting the UK.

On Wednesday during Prime Minister’s Questions, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised “tough” measures to limit strike action, saying the government would not be “intimidated by anti-strike union attacks.”

On Thursday morning, the country’s education secretary, Gillian Keegan, confirmed that the right to strike for NHS staff could be restricted. Speaking to LBC, Keegan reiterated that some parts of the UK’s critical infrastructure such as the police and military are not allowed to strike “as a matter of public safety” and that “health would be one to look at and other areas of critical infrastructure.”

Speaking later to GB News, Keegan said that the Conservatives would be the only party to bring in the infrastructure and that “it is going to be introduced.” She added that “some of the unions are determined to spoil Christmas for everybody.”

Sharon Graham, the general secretary of the country’s second largest trade union Unite, accused the prime minister of being “completely out of touch.”

“Rather than dealing with the critical issue of workers suffering pay cuts as prices rocket, he promises to attack the very organisations that are fighting for workers and putting more money in their pockets,” Graham said, adding that the union would not be intimidated by anti-union attacks and “if they put more hurdles in our way, then we will jump over them.”

Taking Their Time

The strikes from nurses and paramedics are just the latest set of industrial actions set to cause disruption across the country this winter.

While the government is drawing up plans including putting the military on standby to assist where possible, over the next few weeks the UK will see disruption from workers in a variety of sectors including the railways, postal delivery, and Border Force.

The government has been accused of dawdling on the issue of changing legislation regarding industrial action. Back in 2019, the Conservatives pledged in their manifesto that they would require that a “minimum service operates during transport strikes.”

In October this year, the transport secretary at the time, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, published a bill on the issue, but shortly afterwards Liz Truss resigned as prime minister. On Wednesday, current transport secretary Mark Harper said he couldn’t say when MPs would vote on it and that it was “not a solution” for dealing with the current disputes.

On Wednesday, YouGov released a poll stating that 50 percent of Britons supported the industrial action by ambulance staff in England, while 40 percent opposed it.

Nurses who are members of the Royal College of Nursing union will strike on Dec. 15 and 16, while ambulance workers and other NHS staff that are members of the GMB, Unison, and Unite unions will strike on Dec. 21.