Spring strike action: what you need to know

Where is the strike action happening and when?  

The upcoming 48-hour strike action will take place at all NHS employers in England where we have a mandate to strike from 8pm on 30 April until 11.59pm on 1 May.

It will include all shift patterns during this period whether you work in 24-hour services or not. In an intensification of strike action, there will be no wide-ranging derogations in place.

I work for an employer where strike action is happening. What should I do?

You have the right to participate in lawful strike action. We urge every member working at an employer where strike action is planned to assume they will be on strike. To take strike action you must withdraw your labour and not go to work.

RCN members scheduled to work at any point during the 48-hour period should not attend. Employers should accept RCN members’ right to strike by utilising their wider workforce to maintain safe standards of care.

Remember it’s your employer’s responsibility, not yours, to ensure adequate cover for your service area. So that they can plan best, we strongly encourage you to let them know if you intend to take strike action. By striking, you’re fighting for an NHS in which clinical settings are always safely staffed. 

What about derogations (exemptions to strike)? How will they be different to other strike days?

There will be no wide-ranging derogations this time.

During strike action, we expect employers to fully review services and focus on delivering life-preserving care. We are committed to preserving "life and limb" and we’ve given 14 days' notice of strike action by RCN members to employers, so they have time to review and plan how they can use other employees and other clinical professions (who aren’t taking part in RCN strike action) to deliver life-preserving care.

The RCN will work with the NHS to deal with extreme circumstances on days of strike action. 

What is ‘life-preserving care’ and how will it continue? 

Life-preserving services include:  

• emergency intervention for the preservation of life or for the prevention of permanent disability  

• care required for therapeutic services without which life would be jeopardised or permanent disability would occur

• urgent diagnostic procedures and assessment required to obtain information on potentially life-threatening conditions or conditions that could potentially lead to permanent disability.

It is for NHS organisations to ensure life-preserving care while RCN members are taking part in lawful industrial action.

We are urging NHS employers to review all services and focus on life-preserving care by ensuring that all other services are significantly reduced. Employers should accept our members’ right to withdraw their labour by drawing on other employees in the wider workforce to maintain life-preserving care.

I want to strike, but I’m worried that my employer can't cope without me. What should I do?

You're entitled to take part in lawful strike action – through strike action you're fighting for the pay you and your colleagues deserve, and the care that your patients need.

Your employer is responsible for the provision of life-preserving services. In order to take strike action, while supporting your employer to manage safe patient care you can:

• notify your manager that you will be taking strike action. This can be done by email. 
• talk to your patients about industrial action, what it means, why it's needed and how services will be run when nursing staff are on strike
• urge your employer to review all services and focus on delivering life-preserving care by stopping or reducing all other services. Your employer should consider how they can utilise other employees and clinicians who are not participating in the RCN strike as part of their plans to maintain life-preserving services.

I provide life-preserving services. Should I go to work?

We are calling on all RCN members in England to strike (where there's a mandate). 

You should only work on strike days if you're convinced that your employer has exhausted all other options for maintaining life-preserving care. We expect these cases will be rare.

Can I still apply for an individual personal derogation?

The RCN can provide personal derogations to individual members who would suffer long-term financial loss because of taking strike action. Examples include members who are pregnant, members whose state benefits would be affected and members in their last year of pensionable service.

Complete this form to apply for a personal derogation. Decisions on individual personal derogations will be communicated directly to you by the RCN.

These derogations are not for those members who simply do not want to strike or do not support strike action, those members have the personal choice not to take strike action and will not be given an exemption for that reason alone.

Could striking risk my employment or break the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code?

The NMC recognises that you have the right to take strike action. The current staffing crisis in the NHS is making working conditions increasingly dangerous. These unsafe working conditions risk your professional registration every time you are forced to accept them at work.

By taking lawful strike action – which this is – you are fighting to protect the professional registration you worked so hard to earn.

Will there be strike committees?

Oversight committees will be maintained at a regional level and the NHS will understand how to escalate to the RCN at national level.

NHS organisations already have their established emergency procedures for major incidents, emergency situations or critical issues. We will work with employers to deal with exceptional circumstances on days of strike action.

Can I still claim the strike benefit?

The RCN strike benefit will be increased to support the escalation of strike action. From 30 April, the strike benefit will increase to £80 per day of action, increasing to £120 from the fourth day of strike action taken by an RCN member.

In order to claim strike benefit you will need to demonstrate a deduction on your pay slip from taking part in strike action. For many members, this won't be until the end of the month in which you took strike action. Full details on how to claim can be found here.

The increase in strike benefit has been put in place to support members taking prolonged action and will not be backdated. At present it will only be in place for strike action announced for 30 April-1 May.

Do I have to tell my manager I’m intending to strike?

You are not required to tell your manager if you intend to strike. However, to aid planning, we encourage you to disclose your intention to strike.