Junior Doctors Plan to Strike Ahead of UK General Election

(Bloomberg) -- Junior doctors in England are set to walk out for five consecutive days ahead of the general election, having failed to reach an agreement with the Conservative government in an ongoing dispute over pay.

Most Read from Bloomberg

• World’s Largest Nuclear Plant Sits Idle While Energy Needs Soar

• Warning Signals Are Flashing for Homeowners in Texas and Florida

• ‘Not Gonna Be Pretty:’ Covid-Era Homebuyers Face Huge Rate Jump

• Insurers Sink as UnitedHealth Sees ‘Disturbance’ in Medicaid

• China Weighs Record Fine for PwC Over Evergrande Audit Work

The doctors will strike from June 27 to July 2, ending just two days before the country heads to the polls, according to a statement from the British Medical Association. It represents a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who made cutting National Health Service waiting lists a key pledge after taking office. The number of people waiting for care currently stands at more than 7 million.

“For more than 18 months we have been asking Rishi Sunak to put forward proposals to restore the pay junior doctors have lost over the past 15 years,” the BMA said. The action would be called off if Sunak makes an “acceptable” public commitment during his campaign, it said.

This month, senior doctors in England accepted an improved pay offer, ending their strikes that dragged on for more than a year.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

• Why Dave & Buster’s Is Transforming Its Arcades Into Casinos

• New York’s Biggest Produce Market Is at a Breaking Point

• Israel’s Military Ramp-Up Threatens Another ‘Lost Decade’

• The Secret Ozempic Recipe Behind Novo's Race to Boost Supplies

• Yes, Walmart Store Managers Really Can Make $500,000 a Year

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.