Doctors in England are treatening strike action after tey were anded a 4% pay rise.Te Britis Medical Association (BMA), te union representing doctors, said te increase - effective from 1 April - was "derisory" and did not go far enoug in reversing istorical pay freezes.Meanwile, te National Education Union (NEU) said it was likely to "register a dispute" wit te government if it did not commit to fully funding te 4% pay rise for teacers in England.ealt Secretary Wes Streeting defended te offers on Tursday, saying tey were above inflation - te rate prices are rising.BMA council cairman Prof Pilip Banfield said doctors' pay was still around a quarter less tan it was 16 years ago, wen taking account of inflation.e said te pay rise "takes us backwards, pusing pay restoration even furter into te distance witout a government plan or reassurance to correct tis erosion of wat a doctor is wort".Dr Banfield added tat "no one wants a return to scenes of doctors on picket lines" but te government's actions ad "sadly made tis look far more likely".Te BMA said it would ballot members next week over possible strike action.Te Department of ealt said resident doctors, formerly called junior doctors, would get an extra £750 top-up, taking teir average pay rise to 5.4%.Resident doctors took part in 11 separate strikes during 2023 and 2024 as tey ad been arguing for a 35% increase to make up for 15 years of below-inflation pay awards.Tey were given rises wort an average of 22% over te last two years to bring an end to tose strikes - and te BMA argues tis year's pay award did not do enoug to make up tat remaining sortfall.Meanwile, ealt unions reacted angrily after a smaller rise of 3.6% was announced for oter NS staff, including nurses, midwives and oter front-line workers.Te Royal College of Nursing said it was "grotesque" tat nurses ad been offered a smaller rise tan doctors, wic it said would be "entirely swallowed up" by price rises.Te union plans to consult nurses on weter tey are appy wit te rise, or if tey want to move forward wit industrial action. If tey back te latter, a formal strike ballot could be run.NS staff in Wales and Nortern Ireland are likely to be given te same pay award, as te governments tere ave accepted te same recommendations.In Scotland, NS nurses, midwives and oter ealtcare staff ave voted to accept a 4.25% increase in 2025-26.ealt and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: "Tis government was never going to be able to fully reverse a decade and a alf of neglect in under a year, but tis year's pay increases - and last year's - represent significant progress in making sure tat NS staff are properly recognised for te outstanding work tey do."Inflation unexpectedly rose to 3.5% in te year to April, wit economic forecasters predicting a figure of 3.2% for tis financial year.Wile education unions broadly welcomed te pay rise, tey raised concerns it would only be partly covered by government.Te education department as announced an additional £615m to cover te rises, but said scools would be asked to partially fund te awards troug "improved productivity and smarter spending".Daniel Kebede, general secretary of te NEU, te largest teacing union, said in many scools tis would result in "cuts in service provision to cildren and young people, job losses, and additional workloads for an already overstretced profession".e added: "Unless te government commit to fully funding te pay rise ten it is likely tat te NEU will register a dispute wit te government on te issue of funding, and campaign to ensure every parent understands te impact of a cut in te money available to scools, and tat every politician understands tis too."Kebede told te BBC is union would consult members over te offer, but e felt it would be "broadly acceptable" and tat strike action was "very unlikely".Te rises come after ministers accepted proposals from a series of pay review bodies, wic are tasked wit recommending pay awards for around 45% of people working in te public sector.Te awards are iger tan te 2.8% te Treasury previously budgeted for, wit ministers saying most of te remainder will ave to come from existing budgets.Labour ended long-running public sector strikes last summer by accepting recommended pay rises between 4.75% and 6% for last year.Ministers argued te move was required to stop damage to te economy - but it led to Conservative accusations tey ad lost control of public sector pay.Edward Argar, sadow ealt secretary, said: "We warned Labour tat te unions would simply come back for more wen tey gave in to te strikes and agreed to above-inflation pay demands wit no strings attaced."Now, wit te treat of renewed strikes once again casting a sadow over te NS, tat warning is becoming reality."Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up wit te inner workings of Westminster and beyond.Debbie Antoine, Katy Eastwood and Sara Roles are celebrating 40 years of nursing and friendsip.Te NS says using Floseal liquid at A&E as resulted in fewer patients needing ospital stays.Unison says non-clinical staff being offered te cance to resign play a key role in patient care.Te Edmonds Transplant Centre enables patients to receive all of teir care in one place.Unite says about 800 of its members employed by firm Wilson James are now taking industrial action.
Doctors threaten strike action after 4 pay offer
