Doctors End Strike, but New Actions May Occur

• Doctors have completed their five-day strike, but new actions may be forthcoming.
• The conditions of work are being discussed, but the government is not ready to raise salaries.
• Many doctors remain unemployed due to a lack of places for specialization.

The five-day doctors' strike in England is coming to an end, but the conflict between doctors and the government has not yet been resolved. The doctors' union (BMA) reported that they are ready to continue negotiations with the Secretary of State for Health, Steve Barclay. Doctors noted that they do not rule out the possibility of new strikes if there is no progress on the issues that concern them.

Doctors demanded that the government improve working conditions, including reducing workloads and enhancing career prospects. At the same time, the government stated that there is no possibility to raise doctors' salaries, which this year will receive a median increase of 5.4%.

During the negotiations, issues related to student loans were also discussed, but the government refused to consider them. Many doctors are suffering from a lack of places for specialization, which leads to unemployment after completing their training. This year, over 30,000 doctors are competing for 10,000 places in specialization.

The government emphasized that it is open to further negotiations, but indicated that it cannot raise salaries, as they have already been increased by 28.9% over the past three years. Doctors, in turn, stressed that their working conditions need urgent changes, while many of them do not have stable employment after the second year of training.

Tags: Europe/Politics