On Tuesday and Wednesday the 26th and 27th April the BMA junior doctors are on strike again. There will be picket lines at all hospitals. Please go along if you can. Please see the attached Letter of invitation from a junior doctor at the Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust.
There will be a march from MRI to Albert Square on Tuesday 26th April followed by a silent protest where surgical masks, which will be provided, will be worn. This event has been organised by the BMA North West Junior Doctors Committee. The Committee says the protest is intended to demonstrate the way in which junior doctors have been gagged and their concerns silenced. There is a Facebook event here
The support groups are now up and running at MRI, North Manchester and Trafford hospitals. If you want to join your local support group at any of these or at Wythenshawe let us know and we’ll put you in touch with the right person.
You can download a MRI Petition Front Page and Petition Sign Up Form which is being used at MRI. The support group is organising sessions to get signatures. Details will be on their Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/groups/1704071369861870/ Other support groups may want to consider doing something similar. Please make sure you liaise with the BMA on site before doing so.
There is also a national BMA Public Petition to the Prime Minister this is also attached and Downloadable Gift Aid form here
Next week’s strike is the first time that the junior doctors are withdrawing emergency cover. An important point in countering any allegations that patients could be put at risk is to point out the level of support for the junior doctors among their senior colleagues. Look out for publicity in support of this point.
For example this article in The Guardian
and this Facebook video
The BMA does not have a strike fund and has no plans to set one up. It does have two charities which may be available to junior doctors who run into financial difficulties as a result of taking industrial action. The donation form for these is attached.
Finally, we hope you’re all already planning to come to the Manchester May Day Festival on Saturday 30th April. There will be a junior doctors stall and BMA speakers at our starting rally at 11.45, our NHS rally at 13.00 and our May Day rally at 17.30.
This is a key dispute in our movement at the moment. Please do all you can to support the junior doctors. And remember this is not about pay, but is a battle for our NHS which is being destroyed by an unholy trinity of The Five Year Forward View, Devolution and now Sustainability and Transformation Plans.
Keep our NHS public Greater Manchester 