Arabic version: ستارمر يوجه إنذارًا للأطباء بشأن الإضراب القادم
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has given the British Medical Association (BMA) 48 hours to cancel a planned six-day strike by doctors in England or risk losing a package of 1,000 additional training places. This ultimatum follows the BMA’s rejection of a proposed deal that included a 3.5% pay rise and coverage for certain expenses.
According to BBC News, the BMA argued that the proposed pay increase was insufficient given the rising inflation and the fact that resident doctors’ pay has not kept pace since 2008. Starmer criticized the BMA’s decision to hold the strike, labeling it as “reckless” and urging the union to present the deal to its members for a vote.
The additional training places are part of a broader government initiative to create at least 4,000 extra specialty posts over three years. Health Secretary Wes Streeting emphasized that the proposed pay rise was recommended by an independent review body and that resident doctors had already received significant pay increases in recent years.
Dr. Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctor committee, accused the government of changing the terms of the deal at the last minute. He expressed concerns that threatening to withhold job opportunities could worsen the current strain on the NHS. The strike, set to begin at 07:00 BST next Tuesday, will mark the 15th walkout in an ongoing dispute between doctors and the government.
