Nurses are striking in Britain on Monday and Tuesday. PA
Nurses are striking in Britain on Monday and Tuesday. PA
Nurses are striking in Britain on Monday and Tuesday. PA
Nurses are striking in Britain on Monday and Tuesday. PA

Union chief urges Rishi Sunak to help end nurses' strike


Simon Rushton
  • English
  • Arabic

A nurses' leader has pleaded with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to intervene in their pay dispute and help find a solution.

Royal College of Nursing general secretary Pat Cullen said a “meaningful” pay offer from the government could still avert strike action.

Thousands of nurses, ambulance crew and other health workers are due to take action from Monday.

The strikes are part of a wider series of walkouts that includes rail workers, teachers, civil servants and others.

Workers are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis during which inflation has exceeded 10 per cent but pay offers fall short.

In a letter to Mr Sunak, Ms Cullen drew a comparison with his swift action sacking Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi after he was found to have breached the ministerial code in relation to his tax affairs.

“As shown by last weekend’s fast-paced changes in Cabinet, big decisions can be made by you at any point in the week in the interests of good government,” she wrote.

“I am urging you to use this weekend to reset your government in the eyes of the public and demonstrate it is on the side of the hardworking, decent taxpayer.

“There could be no simpler way to demonstrate this commitment than bringing the nurse strike to a swift close.”

On Monday, RCN nurses will walk out alongside GMB and Unite paramedics, call handlers and other staff at ambulance trusts.

Nurses will strike again on Tuesday, physiotherapists on Thursday and ambulance workers again on Friday.

In Wales though, the RCN and other unions have called off similar action after receiving a new pay offer from the Welsh government.

With negotiations also continuing in Scotland, Ms Cullen warned Mr Sunak that his government was becoming “increasingly isolated”.

“As a result, the strike action for England next week remains, with tens of thousands of individuals losing wages to ensure you hear their voice.

“It must not be in vain. It will be the biggest day of industrial action in the 75-year history of the NHS.

“Nursing staff find that a sobering realisation of how far they have been pushed to protect patient care and secure some respect for the nursing profession.”

The NHS Confederation, which represents NHS organisations, has also said “the intensifying waves of industrial action”, must be brought to an end.

“We urge ministers to take the first step and find a resolution to this deadlock with the unions,” said chief executive Matthew Taylor on Friday.

“It is not only the disruption on the day that is a cause of worry but the longer-term damage on service delivery, staff morale, reform, and how the public engages with the NHS too.”

While you're here
Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

House-hunting

Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove

  1. Edinburgh, Scotland 
  2. Westminster, London 
  3. Camden, London 
  4. Glasgow, Scotland 
  5. Islington, London 
  6. Kensington and Chelsea, London 
  7. Highlands, Scotland 
  8. Argyll and Bute, Scotland 
  9. Fife, Scotland 
  10. Tower Hamlets, London 

 

THE SPECS

Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre

Transmission: Seven-speed auto

Power: 165hp

Torque: 241Nm

Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000

On sale: now

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Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets. 

Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows

Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.

Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.

The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.

After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.

The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.

The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.

But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.

It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.

RESULT

Huddersfield Town 1 Manchester City 2
Huddersfield: Otamendi (45' 1 og), van La Parra (red card 90' 6)
Man City: Agüero (47' pen), Sterling (84')

Man of the match: Christopher Schindler (Huddersfield Town)

The bio

Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home

Punchy appearance

Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance

'Morbius'

Director: Daniel Espinosa 

Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona

Rating: 2/5

When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi

  

 

 

 

Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.

 
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Updated: February 05, 2023, 9:17 AM