Britain faces biggest ever strike by health workers

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Britain faces biggest ever strike by health workers

Britain faces its largest ever strike by health workers on Monday February 6 as tens of thousands of nurses and ambulance workers walk out in an escalating pay dispute with the government, causing further disruption to the already strained health system.

Nurses and ambulance workers have been striking separately on and off since late last year, but Monday's walkout involving both, largely in England, will represent the biggest in the 75-year history of the National Health Service NHS England's top doctor Stephen Powis, who said strike action this week will also see physiotherapists walk out on Thursday, which would most likely be the most disruptive so far.

The government says that would be unaffordable and will cause more price rises, and make interest rates and mortgage payments go up further, as health workers are demanding a pay rise that reflects the worst inflation in Britain in the last four decades.

Around 500,000 workers, many from the public sector, have been staging strikes since summer, adding to pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to resolve the disputes and limit disruption to public services, such as railways and schools.

Business Minister Grant Shapps said he was concerned that the strikes would put lives at risk because of the lack of cooperation between the back-up services, such as the army, and those who are striking.

The emergency cover is put in place by the Royal College of Nursing RCN and they have told the NHS this is where we are going to be striking. He said that the ambulance unions are seeing a situation where they refuse to provide that information.

Sharon Graham, the leader of the Unite union, told the BBC on Sunday that she wanted Sunak to come to the negotiating table, accusing the government of lying about ambulance workers.

The government is putting lives at risk, she said.