Junior doctors in Manchester join five-day strike as general election looms

Junior doctors at Manchester Royal Infirmary joined strike action up and down the country today, amid warnings of even more industrial action during the summer.

A band of 30 medics waving placards outside the hospital was greeted by tooting horns and shouts of support from passing motorists this morning.

They are part of a five-day strike - their 11th in 20 months - which is due to conclude on Tuesday, two days before the general election. The government has been warned there could be more walkouts during the summer unless it progresses talks in a 'timely manner'.

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The British Medical Association (BMA) said it stands ready to talk and the union has already had some discussions with the Labour Party. Junior doctors said Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has promised talks on July 5 if the party wins the general election.

The BMA’s junior doctors committee said Mr Streeting’s remark that raising pay would be a “journey and not an event” align with their pay restoration goals. Junior doctors in England have said their pay has been cut by more than a quarter over the last 15 years and have called for a 35% pay uplift.

But Mr Streeting has said he will not meet the 35% ask, saying that if he gave in to the demand then “any trade union worth their salt” would come back the following year with the same request. He has said there is “space for a discussion” on pay, as well as negotiations on how to improve working conditions for medics in training.

Senior BMA members have conceded the union had not pushed enough over the last 15 years, saying they had pinned their hopes on the independent pay review