Ryan Bridge: Here we go again with the nurses strikes

If you've got an appointment at the hospital this week, you might want to check it's still going ahead.

Nurses are going on strike tomorrow from 9am for 24 hours. 4,300 surgeries and specialist appointments will be affected.

It's a complete withdrawal of labour. It's 36,000 nurses.

Kate Hawkesby: I have sympathy for all sides when it comes to teacher strikes

So just as we have rolling strikes beginning this week in New Zealand, the UK has strikes going on too.

Nurses and teachers.

Today here more than 22,000 schools were disrupted with a mass walkout of Union members. And if you think our strikes are bad, this is the fifth time this year teachers in England have walked off the job demanding better pay and conditions.

Kate Hawkesby: Why is it so hard to pay nurses properly?

 

It’s sad to see the nurses striking again. As of tomorrow, an 8 hour nurse’s strike affecting all public hospitals and DHB’s will go ahead. 

They’ve rejected the latest pay offer, saying staff are stretched to breaking point, that the pay does not reflect the amount of work they have to do. There are not enough nurses to spread the load, the workforce is not attracting new recruits, and those currently working say they’re completely over worked.

So, as of tomorrow, nurses, midwives and hospital staff will down tools.