Strike??

 

There is no doubt that over almost 20 years doctors’ pay has declined significantly, by a process of slow erosion. The same is true of other NHS staff, but I’m going to confine myself to talking about the medical profession. The BMA estimates the drop in real earnings to be 30% since 2006, a figure I can well believe. Coincidentally that also corresponds to the time period when doctors have been burdened with the extra workload of appraisal and mandatory training in most cases without any reduction in clinical workload.

The BMA are thumping their chests and demanding a pay rise of 30% in real terms over the next five years. And a national strike is threatened if they don’t get it.

Those of DZ age will know that, no matter how justified this might be, this is just not going to happen for a number of reasons.

Firstly a third of all doctors are not actually BMA members. They will not be balloted on strike action, and are unlikely to support it. The government know this

The BMA are “all mouth and no trousers”. They don’t have it in them to pursue their aims against a hostile and intransigent government. Nor will they support individual doctors who become targeted by employers and the GMC. The government know this.

Next, doctors have never felt easy with industrial action, for the simple reason that action which hurts their patients goes against the grain. Total support for strike action is unlikely, and support will fall if the action drags on. Both the BMA, and the government know this.

The GMC have in past disputes made veiled threats towards doctors who engage in such action.

Government will use the same tactics to screw us that have always worked before. Dig in their heels and wait. The BMA will not be able to sustain a prolonged campaign. Both the BMA and the government know this.

DZ addressed this the last time doctors engaged in industrial action and lost. He even made a suggestion that never occurred to the BMA, or perhaps it did and they decided it was too likely to shake up the government and the GMC, that the gongs that many BMA high ups aspire to might be at risk.

A form of industrial action that would be popular, sustainable indefinitely and not adversely affect a single patient.

Boycott all non clinical work.  Refuse en masse to engage in appraisal, revalidation, CME, audit, mandatory training, teaching etc. We could keep that up for years if necessary. And there’s fuck all they could do about it if we all stuck to it.