UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has warned doctors in England they must cancel a planned strike within 48 hours or face losing a package that includes 1,000 additional training positions. Get today's headlines by email Writing in The Times, Starmer said the decision by the British Medical Association to reject a proposed agreement and announce another walkout was irresponsible. The strike would be the 15th in a prolonged dispute over pay and conditions. Government ultimatum over strikeThe government says the extra training places, due to be introduced this year, depend on an immediate decision by the union. Applications for the posts open in April, meaning the positions must be added to the system before Thursday to proceed. If the strike goes ahead, ministers warn the expansion may be withdrawn. Pay dispute continuesThe union announced the six-day walkout shortly after it emerged doctors would receive a 3.5% pay increase this year. The rise, recommended by an independent pay review body, applies to all doctors. The BMA argues the increase fails to address the long-term erosion of pay for resident doctors — the group formerly known as junior doctors. According to the union, their earnings remain roughly 20% lower in real terms than in 2008 when inflation is taken into account. Union leaders also point to the economic impact of the war with Iran, which they say is expected to push inflation higher and further reduce the value of the pay rise. Talks between the government and the BMA have taken place intermittently over the past year. Negotiations resumed in January following earlier strikes in November and December. Training posts at centre of talksThe proposed government package included more than just the pay award. Ministers planned to create at least 4,000 additional specialist training posts over three years, including the 1,000 places expected to start this year. The plan also included covering doctors’ out-of-pocket costs such as exam fees and accelerating their movement through five pay bands during training. Starmer urged the union to allow its members to vote on the proposal. He said abandoning the agreement without consulting resident doctors was a mistake and warned that rejecting the deal would leave both sides without progress in the dispute. Pressure on health systemResident doctors account for nearly half of all physicians working in the National Health Service. Around two-thirds of them are members of the BMA, giving the union significant influence over industrial action. The next strike is scheduled to begin at 07:00 BST next Tuesday and run for six days, matching the longest stoppage previously seen during the dispute. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has repeatedly said the government cannot offer further pay increases after resident doctors received rises totaling almost 30% over the past three years. Alongside pay concerns, doctors also warn of a shortage of training positions as they move into specialist fields. Last summer about 30,000 applicants competed for roughly 10,000 posts, though some candidates were doctors applying from abroad. Expanding training opportunities has therefore been a key element of negotiations between the government and the union. Join the discussion? Already a member? Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 31 March 2026
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