NHS Nurses Strike for Fair Pay and Staffing Levels

The UK government is expected to approve a 5% pay increase for NHS staff in England, excluding doctors and dentists, following a meeting with 14 NHS unions. The deal also includes a one-off lump sum payment. Most unions have voted in favour of the deal, with Unite and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) being the only major unions to reject it. The RCN will need to hold another strike ballot of its members, while Unite is carrying out a series of local strikes this week. The pay increase will be sanctioned for all staff on the Agenda for Change contract, covering everyone from nurses and paramedics to porters and cleaners.