UK nurses’ union to go on strikes as cost of living, energy crisis worsen

Britain’s biggest nurses’ union asked its 300,000 members Thursday whether they want to go on strike in a dispute over pay, and the UK’s electricity system operator warned of potential winter blackouts, in the latest evidence of the UK’s worsening energy and cost-of-living squeeze.

Members of the Royal College of Nursing are voting through Nov. 2 on whether to stage the biggest strike in the organisation’s 106-year history.

General Secretary Pat Cullen said nurses are struggling to provide safe care for their patients because of staff shortages.

The union is seeking a pay raise of 5% above the rate of inflation, which is currently at a 40-year high of almost 10%.