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UK nurses strike : Government refuses to give way on pay
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UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has faced intense criticism for his stance in the recent nurse’s strike and it’s not being let up.
Not even professional wrestler Zack Sabre Jr, 35, is letting him get away that easily.
Before entering the ring at the Tokyo Dome on Wednesday, the wrestler, whose real name is Lucas Eatwell, shouted out Sunak by screaming into the camera.
“Rishi Suank pay nurses d***head, pay nurses a living wage!” Eatwell yelled.
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The match, part of the New Japan Pro Wrestling [NJPW] Wrestle Kingdom 17 was an important one for Eatwell as his win makes him the first NJPW television champion.
Eatwell is not alone in criticizing Sunak for not taking a more proactive approach to the nurse’s strikes that have been going on since mid-December.
His demand for Sunak to “pay nurses a living wage” echoes what many have been calling on the government to do as well.
The union that represents nurses in the UK, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), accused government ministers of refusing to engage in talks about pay last month.
They said they have left its members no choice but to strike.
Sunak voiced that while the government was open to talks with nurses the demand for a 19 per cent pay rise was "unaffordable."
So, in December, tens of thousands of NHS nurses walked out from 8 am to 8 pm in a series of two strikes.
“Nursing staff have had enough of being taken for granted, enough of low pay and unsafe staffing levels, enough of not being able to give our patients the care they deserve," Pat Cullen, General Secretary and Chief Executive of the RCN said.
Sabre voicing his support for the RCN led to support from people on Twitter.
The RCN is expecting to go on strike again on 18 January and 19 January should they not come to an agreement with the government.
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