Nurses and health care workers from Harrow joined thousands of others in a protest in Westminster after the government excludes them from public sector pay rises.
Many NHS and care workers have died after exposure to Covid-19 after the we’re not provides with suitable PPE, despite this the government have put off a pay rise for NHS staff until April next year.
Thousands of workers marched through London with placards saying “Nice try Boris” and “Overworked an underpaid”. Nurses from Harrow joined the march to show their disgust at the decision to hold back on a pay rise. During the protest, protesters abided by social distancing measures and masks were mandatory.
Lauran O’Neill, an ICU nurse who lives in Harrow said: “We have now been forced to take drastic action in the forms of marches and possible strikes on the near future, because we have had real-time pay cuts for the past ten years of austerity and the pay deal agreed in 2018 was not in line with inflation.
“With other sectors being rewarded (rightly) for their commitment to COVID19 during the pandemic, we are asking for fair pay in line with national inflation to mean that all hospital staff such as porters, HCAs, phlebotomists, nurses, physios etc, are not reliant on things like food banks and room shares to survive.
“We want a wage that attracts people into the NHS and means that we don’t have to work overtime just to stay afloat. A pay that reflects our stress and commitment would mean we can deliver a safer service in the long run.
“We all love the NHS and would like the public to remember the support we had through the worst of the first wave, please continue to support us with this unbelievable decision from the government.”
The next march for all in support is 8th August 11am in all cities across the UK. These are anticipated to be bigger than the one in London.
