Comedians, MPs and public show their support for nurses’ strike
Posted 25 November 2022 - 14:05
Rob Delaney, Diane Abbott and Dane Baptiste among those expressing solidarity with the profession as first strike dates announced
Comedians, MPs and the public have come out in support of nurses as the first dates for strike action in December are announced.
The RCN has confirmed that nurses will hold industrial action from 8am to 8pm on December 15 and December 20 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the exception of emergency services and urgent care.
Strike dates in Scotland have been put on hold following ‘positive’ pay talks between unions and the government.
Life is ‘really really hard’ for nurses, says GP
Comedian Rob Delaney, whose two-year-old son Henry died following two years of treatment for a brain tumour, tweeted his loyal support for striking nurses.
What can I do to help? I would walk through fire for our nurses (and/or simply take their lead & materially aid them in achieving their goals). Nurses, you have my undying support! https://t.co/QJC3vwIn0v
— rob delaney (@robdelaney) November 25, 2022
Author and GP Dr Amir Khan appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain and told viewers it was ‘really really hard’ for nurses at the moment who are struggling to pay their rent and mortgages.
I was on @GMB today talking about the nurses decision to strike
— Dr Amir Khan GP (@DrAmirKhanGP) November 25, 2022
This is just as much about better working conditions, patient safety and recruiting and retaining nurses for the future as it is about fair pay pic.twitter.com/ClzA04BVFZ
Support also came from MP Diane Abbott and comedian Dane Baptiste, who told his followers ‘if you get sick, hurt, or have issues of mental health, or want to bring life into this world, you need nurses to help you’.
Many nurses regard it as part of their ethos not to strike. Yet this government is so awful it has forced an overwhelming majority of them to vote for strike action. Support the nurses!
— Diane Abbott MP (@HackneyAbbott) November 25, 2022
Nurses across UK to strike for first time on 15 and 20 December https://t.co/03itYqaOHU
Public show support for nurses’ strike
Hundreds of people took to Twitter in support of RCN general secretary Pat Cullen after her appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning. She told presenter Mishal Husain that health and social care secretary Steve Barlcay had caused the strikes by refusing to negotiate on pay.
‘Let’s get into a room and let’s start speaking. Stop the spin. Start to speak and he can avert these strikes,’ she said. ‘He has caused this, not nursing staff that have been pushed to the brink and beyond, so let’s get into a room and negotiate.
Pounding the table in support of this bravura defence of the nurses' strike from Pat Cullen of the RCN on #r4today.
— milominder (@milominder) November 25, 2022
Nurses did not cause this #NHS chaos.
Pat Cullen says you haven’t met with her for a couple of weeks, she’s said her door is open, why not meet her and sort a deal? Nurses are that key to the patient safety you say is a priority. @BBCBreakfast https://t.co/7pflwbvQLa
— Kate Masters (@katemasters67) November 25, 2022
Government must come to negotiating table, says RCN
Health and social care secretary Steve Barclay tweeted this morning that ‘his door was always open’ to discuss how to make nurses’ working lives better.
But RCN director for England Patricia Marquis told Good Morning Britain that despite meeting with the RCN twice, Mr Barclay has not been willing to discuss ‘the things that need to be discussed – pay and safe staffing’.
She added: ‘He can say his door remains open but it remains open on his terms and it needs to remain open on terms that we can all agree on.
‘So unless he’s prepared to speak to us about the things that we’re in dispute over, his door is shut.’
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