BMA staff announce further walkout for same day as resident doctors’ strike

British Medical Association (BMA) staff have set further strike dates for Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 April. These will coincide with the start of the six-day resident doctors’ strike on 7 April.

The first round of BMA strikes kicks off this week, on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 March.

Like the resident doctors, BMA staff are in dispute with their employer over years of sub-inflationary pay awards, which have seen staff pay eroded by almost 17%.

The BMA’s most recent pay offer to its staff of 2.75% is lower than the latest doctors’ and dentists’ pay review body recommendation of 3.5% to resident doctors. The BMA described that as a “crushing blow” to doctors.

Hundreds of staff, who are represented by GMB Union, recently voted 96% to strike on an 80% turnout.

Many doctor BMA members have shared public messages of solidarity with the staff.

Gavin Davies, GMB senior organiser, said:

These strikes have laid bare the BMA’s ongoing hypocrisy. Our members want to focus on doing what they do best: supporting their members at work.

But just like the resident doctors they support, they cannot continue to accept another year of pay erosion while the cost of living continues to spiral.

We are urging the BMA to come back to the table with a constructive offer that recognises our members’ value.

Picket details for BMA staff strikes on Friday 27 March:

• London 8am-2pm: BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JP.
• Belfast 11am: BMA Northern Ireland, Urban HQ, Eagle Star House, 5-7 Upper Queen Street, Belfast, BT1 6FB.
• Cardiff 10am-12pm: BMA Cymru Wales, 2 Caspian Point, Caspian Way, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF10 4DQ.
• Edinburgh 10.30am-12pm: BMA Scotland, 14 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1LL.

Featured image via the Canary