I wish to draw attention to a petition that I hope many readers of Rye News will be able to support. The petition is addressed to Matt Hancock MP – secretary of state for Health and Social Care and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak.
The text of the petition is as follows:
“Your proposal to give NHS workers a pitiful 1% pay rise doesn’t even begin to go far enough in rewarding NHS staff for their sacrifice over the last 12 months. After inflation, this amounts to a real terms pay cut. Enough is enough.
We’ve clapped for them, now it’s time to act for them. Give NHS staff the real pay rise they deserve.”
The petition can be accessed on the 38 Degrees website. 38 Degrees is completely independent of all political parties. It exists to put power into the hands of ordinary people, not political parties. It provides citizens with the means to work together to highlight important issues with a view to influencing decision making. This surely is one of the most of important issues of modern times.
Our own MP writes on her website (my italics) “I believe that the passion, commitment, and specialist knowledge of our NHS staff is part of what makes the NHS so special. In particular, I recognise the sacrifice, commitment and dedication of our NHS workers over the past year in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic. I believe it is important to honour this, but I know that the pandemic has had real-world consequences on public finances which cannot be ignored either”.
The prime minister has announced a UK commission on coronavirus commemoration to (my italics) “remember the loved ones we have lost, honour the heroism of those who have saved lives and the courage of frontline workers who have kept this country going”.
He shows how much he honours NHS health workers in England by recommending an insulting one per cent wage “rise”. Despite unequivocal appreciation of the vital contribution made by NHS workers caring for the sick and dying during the worst days of the crisis, the idea of honouring them with more than fine words is, it seems, a step too far.
Please sign the petition. It is one way for us to register our continued support for NHS workers. This is a national campaign so hopefully together we might influence the minds of those in positions of power.
Image Credits: Nick Forman .
And the nurse who treated the Prime Minister when he had Covid has left the NHS, reportedly disillusioned with government policy.