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| Britain | |
| 2/3 of NHS doctors in retreat, won't join strike | |
| 2012-06-21 | |
| Support for the doctors' strike was crumbling on Wednesday night after a public backlash caused many who voted for action to have second thoughts. In May, the British Medical Association insisted it had a "strong" mandate for industrial action -- its first strike in nearly 40 years -- when half its members responded to a ballot with 79 per cent of votes in favour.
The slump in support for industrial action over pensions follows fierce public criticism and claims that doctors are being "greedy and immoral". One poll on Wednesday found that only a third of Britons backed the action. David Cameron said doctors should not strike as most already had gold-plated pensions which people working in the private sector "can only dream of". The BMA, representing two thirds of doctors, is fighting cuts to their £1million pension pots. Under government proposals, new doctors will have to work until 68 and make bigger contributions to earn a pension worth £68,000 a year. | |
| Posted by:lotp |