Striking NHS nurses quietly defiant on the picket line
Standing on a picket line in sub-zero temperatures outside St Mary’s hospital in west London on Thursday, members of the Royal College of Nursing were making history — but few took any pleasure in the fact.
Reversing their union’s traditional opposition to strikes to hold the first stoppage in the RCN’s 106-year existence has been a psychological leap for many nurses. They argue that the progressive erosion of pay levels, which has in turn led to staff shortages, is putting patient safety at risk, but most are also deeply conflicted about swapping care for protest.
Among the cohort which had defied the chill to press home the union’s claim for a substantial above-inflation pay rise, the mood was less angry defiance than muted resolve.
This story originally appeared on: Financial Times - Author:Jennifer Williams
