The announcement from the Royal College of Nursing that its members are planning strikes by the end of the year is a terrifying prospect.
Scotland is facing a wave of damaging strikes this winter – with schools and the railways also facing industrial action.
Many workers have felt compelled to go for industrial action to achieve pay rises that match the rising cost of food, housing and energy.
But this planned industrial action by nurses is no ordinary dispute.
The RCN has never before in its 106-year history passed a statutory ballot in favour of a staff walkout.
The union says real terms pay is 16 per cent lower than a decade ago and described the Scottish Government’s current pay offer as inadequate.
We are now in very real danger of seeing operations cancelled and wards closed down. Patients are already facing a winter of lengthy queues and cancelled appointments due to staff shortages, winter flu and a feared Covid surge.
The impact of a staff walkout would be devastating for the NHS and the millions of Scots who depend on it.
No one can deny that health staff deserve a pay rise due to their efforts through the pandemic.
But the Scottish Government has repeatedly warned it has no more money available to fund a higher wage offer.
The fact is that both sides are miles apart in their positions and no resolution seems likely any time soon.
It is now absolutely vital that both sides sit down and pull out all the stops to try to reach agreement.
Discussions must start now.
Food bank shame
The presence of food banks in a resource-rich country like the UK is a national disgrace.
Demand for their use has grown since the Tories took over in 2010 – a fact that tells you everything you need to know about Conservative economic policies.
New figures from the Trussell Trust show that their food banks are busier than ever. About 116,000 emergency food parcels were given to people in Scotland this summer – a 34 per cent increase on the same period last year.
Included in this figure were 40,000 children, a 29 per cent increase which the charity says is the most ever distributed to households with kids. The charity also says it sees more and more people using food banks who are working – confirmation many people with jobs are poor due to insecure and lowly paid work.
The UK Government has a chance soon through its next fiscal statement to make amends for 12 years of policies that have done little for people who struggle.
They must prioritise people who need help the most – or face the very real prospect of people going hungry this Christmas in the UK.
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