However, action will not take place in England because the number of people who voted fell short of the 50% threshold. The vote result, according to midwives in England, exposed flaws in the law governing industrial action. The Welsh government stated that it understands the depth of feeling in the NHS. In Wales, 55% of Royal College of Midwives (RCM) members voted in favour of strike action, with 91% voting no. The RCM in England reported that 47% of its 28,500 members voted in the ballot. 88% of those who participated voted in favour of strike action. Any decision to strike must be approved by the RCM’s elected board. The union stated that it will now review the ballot results and determine the next steps. Welsh midwives are exhausted,” said Julie Richards, RCM’s director for Wales. The disappointing and unacceptable 4% pay offer only served to reinforce their sense of being overlooked and undervalued.” “Taking industrial action is always a last resort,” she added, “and the decision taken by our members today demonstrates just how desperate they are for policymakers to listen.” The Welsh Government must now act to restore maternity services in Wales and prevent the inevitable exodus of disgruntled employees.” The Welsh Government, according to a spokesman, understands the “anxiety and disappointment” felt by public sector workers. “We are unable to increase our pay offer without additional funding from the UK government,” he explained. “NHS Wales organisations are considering all options to ensure a safe level of staffing and the provision of life-saving and life-maintaining care during any industrial action.” Separately, physiotherapy staff in more than half of NHS trusts in England and every health board in Wales voted to strike in their first-ever pay ballot. “We are understaffed, overworked, and exhausted,” said Jill Taylor, a physiotherapist and chair of the pay committee of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. We need to attract people to the NHS and keep them in the NHS.” We simply cannot do so until the government provides a more equitable pay package to NHS employees.” The Westminster government expressed disappointment that NHS workers were going on strike, but said that further pay increases were unaffordable in the current economic climate.
