Over half of Britons support junior doctors striking to demand a pay raise as the cost of living in the UK continues to soar, an Ipsos poll said on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th April, 2023) Over half of Britons support junior doctors striking to demand a pay raise as the cost of living in the UK continues to soar, an Ipsos poll said on Tuesday.
On Tuesday morning, more than 47,000 of the UK's junior doctors went on a mass strike expected to last four days. According to the estimation by the National Health Service (NHS), around 350,000 appointments and operations will probably be canceled because of the strike.
The poll showed that junior doctors were supported by 54% of the respondents, which is 3% higher than a month before, while 26% opposed the doctors' actions.
Junior doctors are among the groups getting the most support from the public, ranking one position lower than nurses and ambulance workers, both with 60% of support, the poll showed.
The poll is based on interviews that took place online on March 31 and April 1 among 1,092 UK adults aged 16-75.
In March, junior doctors went on a three-day strike which failed to convince the UK government to meet their demands for a pay raise. Currently, the British Medical Association is demanding a 35% increase to doctors' salaries in order to return it to the level of 2008, which Secretary of State for Health Steve Barclay called unrealistic.
The UK has seen a series of strikes by civil servants over the past months as people express their dissatisfaction with salaries and the worsening economic situation caused by soaring inflation in the country. Employees of railroad companies, post offices, airports and lawyers, among others, have been taking part in the protests. The inflation spike is partly linked to the wave of sanctions against Russia over its military operation in Ukraine.
