Skip to main content
Thousands of nurses march through London demanding end to austerity wages
NHS workers on the picket line St Thomas' Hospital, London, head of a march from the hospital to Trafalgar Square, as members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and the Unite union continue their strike action in a dispute over pay, May 1, 2023

STRIKING nurses warned they can no longer get by on austerity wages today as thousands of Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members downed tools once again across the country.

Many joined May Day rallies in London, chanting, singing and holding placards stating “enough is enough” and asking “How am I supposed to live?”

The latest walkout, which began on Sunday evening, is the first in the escalating six-month dispute to include emergency department and intensive care staff after RCN members voted to reject the Tory government’s latest below-inflation wage offer last month.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
Similar stories
STILL GOING STRONG: Phlebotomists pictured earlier this year, in July, as they marked 100 days of action. Photo: Unison South West
Features / 13 November 2025
13 November 2025

ROGER McKENZIE calls for greater support from trade unionists and the general public for female workers involved in industrial disputes

Workers' Rights / 8 October 2025
8 October 2025