Nurses in Britain strike for better wages

Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Tens of thousands of medical appointments and non-critical procedures were canceled in Britain on Thursday as nurses demanding higher wages went on strike.

The collective action by the Royal College of Nurses, the union representing the striking healthcare workers, is the largest in the history of Britain's National Health Service.

The government has rejected the nurses' demands, with Health Minister Maria Caulfield saying a 19% pay raise "is an unrealistic ask."

The Royal College of Nurses is required by trade union laws to provide life-saving care during the strike. While some cancer treatments and surgeries are expected to be temporarily affected by the strike, intensive critical care, neonatal units, chemotherapy, and children's accident and emergency services are expected to function normally.

British authorities are advising residents to show up for healthcare appointments that haven't been canceled and call 999, as they would normally, in the event of an emergency.

The labor action was organized by polling local trusts representing 300,000 nurses, which means that nurses in some areas are not engaging in the action. A second 12-hour strike is planned for next Tuesday.