'Disgusting!' Junior doctor strike leaves Richard Tice outraged: 'Vulnerable people will suffer'

'Disgusting!' Junior doctor strike leaves Richard Tice outraged: 'Vulnerable people will suffer'
GB News
Georgia Pearce

By Georgia Pearce


Published: 06/12/2023

- 14:55

Junior doctors have planned nine days of strike action in December and January

Leader of Reform UK Richard Tice has blasted junior doctors, after they announced another round of strike action in December and January.

Industrial action will take place for three days from December 20 and for six days from January 3, amid a long running dispute over pay and working conditions.


The British Medical Association (BMA) union recently rejected a new pay offer after it was put forward in talks with government.

The union has demanded a 35 per cent pay rise, to make up for what they have called "below-inflation rises" since 2008.

Junior Doctors

Junior doctors are planning more strikes for December and January

PA

Co-chairs of the BMA junior doctors committee, Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson said they have been "clear from the outset" of the talks that if they did not have a credible offer, they would be "forced to call strikes".

They added: "After five weeks of intense talks, the government was unable to present a credible offer on pay by the deadline. Instead, we were offered an additional 3 per cent, unevenly spread across doctors' grades, which would still amount to pay cuts for many doctors this year."

The move by the union also comes as they successfully reached a pay deal last week for senior doctors, also known as consultants, who have been taking strike action alongside junior doctors.

Reacting to the announcement, Richard Tice hit out at junior doctors and the BMA about the move.

Tice told GB News: "It's just appalling and I think whatever public sympathy they had, and many would say that they did justifiably have some cause, but I think they are losing it absolutely in spades.

"To do it just before Christmas and just into the most dangerous time of the year when when elderly people, vulnerable people, are most likely to suffer. These people who go on strike they should be ashamed of themselves.

"It's nothing short of disgusting what they're doing."

Fellow GB News panellist and former Editor of LabourList, Peter Edwards, shared his support for the strike: "They are exercising their legal rights."

Richard Tice

Richard Tice said the move by junior doctors was 'disgusting'

GB News

Tice hit back: "For a 35 percent pay rise?"

Edwards admitted: "Well they'll never get that. That is too hard line a negotiating position and neither of the parties that can win the general election, Labour or Tory, have supported that. So they won't get 35%.

"The criticism of the government has been that they were too gung ho in negotiations or they'd offer negotiations without anything to have money, which is kind of pointless.

"Doctors take industrial action because they care about the health service and their patients."

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