"No other group of nursing staff in the world have been treated like this"
Claps for nurses have turned to slapping court orders on them, Pat Cullen fired at ministers this morning, following confirmation that the government will take the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to court over planned strikes next week.
The government are using ‘draconian anti-trade union legislation’ to bring a court case against the RCN, Cullen, union general secretary, has said as she further called-out their bullying tactics, saying no other nursing staff in the world has been treated like this.
The government are challenging the union’s second day of planned industrial action on Tuesday 2 May, claiming the day falls outside of the RCN’s mandate for strikes.
Health Secretary, Steve Barclay, has said it is ‘unlawful strike action’ and that he had ‘no choice’ but to pursue legal action following a request from NHS Employers.
The RCN claims the mandate falls within the ballot mandate, which ended at midday on 2 November 2022 and lasts for six months.
In an email to members last night, Cullen accused the government of using taxpayers’ money to, ‘drag our profession through the courts’ and that the only way to ‘deal with bullies’ was to stand up to them.
“Before the end of the week, the court will decide whether to support this government’s use of draconian anti-trade union legislation.
“If the government succeeds in silencing members like you and convinces the court to stop part of our strike, then we’ll have no choice but to cut it short.
“Our strike action has always been safe and legal. We would never ask our members to do anything unsafe or against your professional code.”
This morning on BBC Breakfast, Cullen said ministers had gone from clapping nurses, to slapping them with court orders.
“All of the ministers stood on their doorsteps including Downing Street and clapped for them, those claps have turned to slapping court orders on them.
“Not a way to treat the nursing staff of England. No other group of nursing staff throughout the world have been treated like this.”
The enforcement of a six-month mandate came into place in March 2017, as part of the Trade Union Act 2016.
At the time, the TUC said the Act represented ‘the most serious attack on the rights of trade unions and their members in a generation’, whilst the government boasted it would reduce strikes in important public services by 35%.
Employment lawyers have warned that the anti-strikes minimum service levels bill, which the government is currently trying to push through parliament, will make the UK one of the most difficult countries to strike in the democratic world.
The RCN is preparing to ballot members next month on a second six-month strike mandate from June to December 2023.
Hannah Davenport is trade union reporter at Left Foot Forward
(Photo credit: Good Morning Britain / Screenshot)
Left Foot Forward’s trade union reporting is supported by the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust
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