Thousands of NHS and care workers will be protesting today across the UK in search of a pay rise and more recognition. Coronavirus has made us see the sacrifice these workers make each and every day in much more clarity - they throw themselves into the pit of danger with no hesitation, they do whatever it takes to keep the nation healthy without a seconds delay. But what we and the Government need to recognise is that the doctors and nurses and carers do not stop being doctors and nurses and carers when we are not facing a global pandemic, that everyone who works as a health professional should be commended and rewarded.
The 37 protests today will begin at 11:00 all over the UK, in major cities and towns. They will be marching to try and get the government to improve the quality of attention that they get in day to day life, and for a pay rise after the massive losses that they have suffered during the pandemic, both in terms of lives lost and economically. Many workers do not believe that the Government does not give them what they rightfully deserve. In order to recognise the challenges these workers face, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has ordered a pay rise for 900,000 public sector workers, but this pay rise only benefits doctors and dentists, but not the majority of public health workers. This is why they are marching. Because in the eyes of the government, all of the other health workers (nurses, matrons, admin staff, etc.) either do not deserve a pay rise right now or are not as important as doctors and dentists.
To me, this makes no sense. In my opinion, a hospital could not run if it was solely comprised of doctors, without nurses or other staff. If this is the case, why are they not treated with a greater level of respect? When coronavirus was at its peak in the UK, we did give them this respect and recognition in the form of the Clap for Carers and the coverage that they got in public and on social media. Coronavirus hasn't stopped so why has this? Everyone took part in the Clap for Carers - old, young, it didn't matter because we were coming together as a community to help support our emergency services and public health services. This gesture made them feel seen, and feel recognised and supported, that it was worth all the hard work and danger.
A survey by one of the unions says that 69% of people believe that ALL NHS workers should be given a pay rise instead of the select few that are right now. It also reveals that only 10% of people believe that the pay rise should be released in April 2021. This goes to show that everyone knows the hard work the NHS workers go through. Nurses are already getting a 'pay rise' in the form of the Agenda for Change scheme, which states that they will receive an average of 4.4% raise this year but they have only received a 1.65% rise in April this year. The reason behind this is that the 4.4% stated is an average across the 3 years that Agenda for Change is over. Even if they got a pay rise right now, chances are it would be below the rate of inflation, effectively meaning they are getting pay cuts instead - if everything is more expensive, why should pay rises stay the same? It makes no sense.
In conclusion, NHS workers deserve more. What they are getting now, in terms of both money and recognition, is not enough. I am totally with the staff protesting today - we need to make sure that both higher and lower-paid staff are taken care of or hospitals and healthcare centres may be empty soon due to protests and strikes like what is happening today and no one wants to see that. What are your thoughts on the NHS workers' pay - should they be increased now instead of in April next year?
Thank you for reading, if you enjoyed it please leave a like, comment and share it with your friends.
See you next week.