[user104658]

Originally Posted by Kazanne

I have a friend who is a nurse and she has said to me that nurses are not underpaid and not to believe the tabloid hysterical headlines, which I don't anyway, it's more to do with the wastage and mismanagement of the fat cats at the top, one example she gave was a CPAP machines which cost £600 and some are never returned that's is just one example, the waste is huge , so as much as I think they should be looked after and paid a decent wage I don't think it's as bad as the tabloid fodder is feeding people, but that's what they do so well and some just go along believing it. As for strikes it's a no from me as isn't it a vocation ? and people should come before money, IF people die because of it then they can't complain about the government's handling of the pandemic where people died.

This is the sort of daft mindset that has nurses painted as selfless angels who would happily do it for free and live in a box. It's a skilled medical profession that involves a degree and years of training, and with a level of responsibility and risk management that the vast majority of people will NEVER experience in their career. The pay should reflect those facts, it's not about nurses being "literally starving", it shouldn't be a race to the bottom where everyone accepts poor wages for themselves "because other people have low wages too".

McDonald's is now paying £11/hour to 18 year olds straight out of school, nursing graduates with thousands of hours of training requirements and tens of thousands in student debt required to become nurses start on £13.50 an hour. It's shameful. And it's happened BECAUSE nurses have always been hesitant to push for more, because so many put patient safety above their own wellbeing and above being respected as a workforce. And the government knows that. It's simply gross.

Don't get me wrong there are plenty of other professions that are underpaid too - but this mindset of "I get paid a crap salary so why should you get more than me?" is exacty what the Tories love to see. Everyone depserately pulling each other down because they don't want to see others getting more if they aren't getting it themselves.