The United Kingdom is going through a period of strong social protest: railway workers, postal workers, customs officers are demanding better working conditions and wage increases, in a context of 11% inflation. Exceptionally, nurses are also on strike this Thursday, December 15 in England and Wales, for the first time in a century. Meeting with a striking London nurse.
With our correspondent in London, Emeline Wine
Among the claims, there is the salary: caregivers have lost 20% of purchasing power in twelve years.
Kelley Seitter, an infectious disease nurse, is mobilizing for a decent salary, but above all for better working conditions.
There is a severe lack of resources. We have to take extra guards, work overtime after our 12 hours… We are constantly running after time. But we don’t have enough staff, so what can we do? We have no choice but to work with a huge number of patients, which is no longer safe. We do this job to help, to protect our patients and provide them with the best care, and it is difficult to work in conditions where this is not possible.
Nearly 50,000 nursing vacancies are unfilled in England. Routine operations are canceled this Thursday, but a minimum service will ensure vital emergencies.
For Kelley Sietter, going on strike really is the last resort in her profession.
We are a profession of compassion, empathy, understanding and some abuse it. No nurse goes on strike to make patients suffer. Ultimately, we hope to improve care and the profession!
A second strike will be held next Tuesday. Kelley Sietter expects new mobilizations next year.
►Read again: The winter of anger for the workers of the United Kingdom