MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2023) The UK's Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) announced that over 4,000 of its members went on strike on Thursday for the first time to demand higher wages.
"Up to 4,200 CSP members from 30 trusts went on strike today, as part of the ongoing dispute over the pay award given to NHS staff on the Agenda for Change pay scale," the CSP said in a statement.
The Sky news broadcaster reported that CSP's first strike started at midnight and will last for 24 hours. The next strike in England will take place on February 9 and in Wales on February 7.
"The government must come to the table with something tangible that we can put to our members to prevent more strikes following if there is no progress. We are determined to secure a pay deal that helps our members cope with the cost of living crisis and helps the NHS recruit and retain staff to deliver the services that patients desperately need," Claire Sullivan, director of Employment Relations and Union Services at CSP, said.
The society emphasized that physiotherapists will continue to provide emergency lifesaving care, including intensive care and respiratory on-call services.
The United Kingdom has been witnessing a series of nationwide strikes due to record inflation and shrinking real wages, with railway workers, lawyers, nurses, airport employees, post office workers, university staff and workers from other industries taking part in the action.
