Bolton teachers, junior doctors and university staff strike

Teachers' union National Education Union walked out in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The British Medical Assocation (BMA) is demanding a substantial pay rise for doctors, with its latest campaign saying junior medics could earn more per hour if they worked in Pret A Manger.

The BMA says junior doctors’ pay has fallen in real terms by 26 per cent since 2008/09 and reversing this would require a 35.3 per cent pay rise.

And university lecturers have walked out in a dispute over pay.

There are warnings of more strikes if issues are not resolved.

The action is thought to be the biggest walkout since the current wave of industrial action started last year.

Teachers from across Bolton stood outside schools raising awareness of why they were taking the action.Teachers at picket lines in Bolton (Image: NEU)

The teachers' union is demanding an inflation proof pay increase for all teachers fully funded by central government.

The union says that teachers are overworked and underpaid, and that this is leading to a crisis in the education system.

Robert Poole, striking teacher from Sharples School and member of the National Education Union said: “We are striking because we want a fully funded education system that works for all of our pupils.

• Also read: Junior doctors say 'enough is enough' in latest strike action

“There has been picket lines all across Bolton and we also have got a number of people travelling down today to the big rally in London which is taking place.

“We are on strike again tomorrow and we have had really good support from parents so far, it has been really positive.

Junior doctors striking in Manchester (Image: BMA Union)

“Teachers from Turton, St James’ and Sharples were striking this morning at picket lines outside schools and there will be picket lines again tomorrow morning, there were other teachers striking at other schools as well.

“We would rather be working, we don’t want to be on strike, but morale is high at the moment, and we are hoping that the government starts to listen to us and sits down and starts to negotiate.

“Tomorrow is the last day of the planned strike action and we have got nothing planned at the moment so it is a good opportunity for the Government to start making progress on the negotiation.

“So, at the moment they are refusing to talk to us which is really disappointing.”

• Also read: STRIKES: Royal Bolton Hospital urge people to use correct services

The union added that the Government needs to take action to address the crisis in the education system, and that a failure to do so will have serious consequences for the future of the country.

"We're not just fighting for ourselves," said Mr Poole, "We're fighting for our students and for the future of our country.

“Education is the foundation of everything, and if we don't have a strong education system, we don't have a strong future."

University of Bolton staff striking (Image: UCU)

The teachers, along with junior doctors took part in a rally in  Manchester.

Members of the British Medical Association (BMA) are demanding a substantial pay rise for doctors, with its latest campaign saying junior medics could earn more per hour if they worked in Pret A Manger.

Junior doctors make up around 45 per cent of the NHS’s medical workforce and consultants and other medics have been drafted in to provide strike cover in areas such as A&E.

Teachers will strike tomorrow and members of the University College Union will walk out on days next week.

The people taking part in the strikes joined up to half a million junior doctors, teachers, civil servants, lecturers, London Underground drivers, BBC journalists and Amazon workers across the country have taken industrial action today.

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