Ministers are threatening nurses and doctors with the sack for exercising their right to strike – TUC

Commenting on the government launching a consultation on minimum service levels in hospitals, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Nothing works in this country anymore.

“But instead of fixing our crumbling public services and sorting out the chronic retention and recruitment crisis blighting our NHS, ministers are threatening nurses and doctors with the sack for exercising their right to strike.

"This is yet another desperate attempt from the Conservatives to distract from their dire record in government.

"Everyone knows NHS professionals already provide safe levels of staffing during industrial action.

"These laws haven't been designed to resolve conflicts – they've been designed to escalate them. They will only sour industrial relations and worsen disputes.

"They're unworkable, undemocratic and almost certainly in breach of international law.

"That's why we won't rest until this Act has been repealed. And we won't stand by and let workers get sacked for defending their pay and conditions."