NURSES in England will pause planned strike action to enter "intensive talks" with the British government on pay and conditions, both sides said on Tuesday (21), in the first sign of a break in a long-running dispute.
Britain is experiencing its largest wave of strike action in decades, involving hundreds of thousands of workers from a range of professions and piling pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to settle the disputes, many of which involve the public sector.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and the government said the first talks would start on Wednesday (22) when health secretary Steve Barclay would meet RCN representatives.
"Both sides are committed to finding a fair and reasonable settlement that recognises the vital role that nurses and nursing play in the National Health Service and the wider economic pressures facing the United Kingdom," the statement said.
Separately, the government said it had also invited teaching unions to "move into formal talks on pay, conditions and reform" on condition the upcoming strikes were cancelled.
Commenting on the letter from the government offering talks to the union, the National Education Union's joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said there was nothing in it that suggested they should call off the strikes, adding that "they could change that decision" when their national executive meets on Saturday (26).
The agreement to hold talks with nurses meant a 48-hour strike planned by the RCN for March 1 was cancelled.
"We will put our plans on the table, they can put their plans on the table, but I'm confident that we will come out with a fair pay settlement for our nursing staff," RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen told Sky News.
The RCN held a series of two-day strikes in December, January and earlier this month.
The RCN has been pushing for a pay rise which better reflects the worst inflation in Britain in four decades, while the government has so far said that such pay rises would only fuel inflation, causing interest rates and mortgages to go up.
Despite Tuesday's announcement, the NHS is set to face the strain from a strike planned for next month by tens of thousands of junior doctors in England, who earlier in the week voted in favour of further walkouts.
(Reuters)
Nurses in England pause strikes to enter pay talks with government
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)