Junior doctors in UK begin 3rd round of strikes with 72-hour walkout

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Thousands of junior doctors across England on Wednesday marched on picket lines as part of a three-day strike over an ongoing pay dispute, which they described as an "insulting pay offer."

The British Medical Association (BMA) members in England are staging a "third round" of strikes, walking out for a full 72 hours from 7 a.m. on Wednesday until 6.59 a.m. on June 17.

In a statement, the BMA shared new survey results among junior doctors, saying 53% of those who took part in the survey are planning to leave or are considering leaving the National Health Service (NHS) as a result of the government's response to the issue.

The statement also mentioned the BMA’s UK Council chair Professor Philip Banfield's letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, urging him to intervene to resolve the dispute.

"They (doctors) have been forced to do so to try and get your government to listen and understand the realities of how desperate things have become on the frontline of the NHS… I urge you to listen to our doctors and to meet with me and our Junior Doctors Committee as soon as possible to find a way forward in this dispute," he stated in the letter.

The union's strike decision came in May due to the ongoing dispute over the pay offer, as the BMA said earlier: "The Government’s 5% pay increase offer is an insult to junior doctors in England."

Along with a fair pay rise offer, the BMA emphasized their demand to be compensated appropriately for their work, claiming that junior doctors' pay has been cut by 26.1% since 2008.

Additionally, Labour Party Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting extended his support to the striking junior doctors and joined the BMA in calling on Sunak to step in to resolve the issue.

"The reason junior doctors are on strike is because they have no one to negotiate with," he said in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today program on Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, junior doctors in Scotland are planning to strike after a majority of members rejected the Scottish government's pay offer.

They will stage a three-day strike from July 12 to July 15, the BMA Scotland announced on Tuesday, citing 71.1% of votes cast rejecting the offer and a turnout of 66.3%.

In May, the Scottish government offered junior doctors an aggregate 14.5% increase over two years, as well as discussions about changing the pay review system in the future.