Resident doctors to strike for 16th time over pay

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Resident doctors to strike for 16th time over payJust now Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleGetty ImagesResident doctors in England are to stage a fresh round of strikes in June. The four-day walkout from Monday 15 to Friday 19 June will be the 16th of the long-running dispute over pay. The announcement came after a meeting between the British Medical Association and new health secretary James Murray on Wednesday.

BMA members last took part in strike action in April when they staged a six-day walkout. Resident doctors have received pay rises worth 33% over the past four years, including a 3. 5% increase this year.

It means starting salaries are now just over £40,000, with the most senior doctors getting £76,500 in basic pay. Resident doctors can earn thousands more each year for things like working at unsocial times and doing additional hours. But the BMA argues they are still being paid a fifth less than they were in 2008 once inflation is taken into account.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.