BMA union behind doctors’ strikes branded ‘hypocritical’ as staff launch formal pay dispute over 2 per cent pay rise

The British Medical Association has been branded ‘hypocritical’ for awarding staff a 2 per cent pay rise while resident doctors strike for 26 per cent.

The doctors union heavily criticised the Government when it offered medics a 2.5 per cent uplift, describing the taxpayer-funded boost as ‘insulting’.

Resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, have seen their pay soar by 28.9 per cent over the past three years but caused havoc earlier this month when they once again walked out of NHS hospitals for five days in pursuit of another 26 per cent.

The repeated industrial action has caused misery for patients who have seen appointments and operations cancelled and care disrupted.

It prompted health secretary Wes Streeting to accuse the ‘morally reprehensible’ BMA of acting like a ‘cartel’ and of trying to hold the country to ransom over their demands.

The BMA now faces a formal pay dispute with the GMB union, which represents over three in four members of its staff.

Since 2012, BMA employees have seen their real-terms pay fall by nearly 17 per cent as a result of years of sub-inflationary pay awards, it is claimed.

Despite assurances from management that they wanted to address pay erosion – as they are seeking for medics – they have continued to allow staff pay to fall below inflation, the GMB said.

A survey of GMB members working at the BMA found 91 per cent would be in favour of taking industrial action due to the 2 per cent proposal.

A GMB rep working for the BMA said: ‘It is nothing short of hypocritical for the BMA leadership to make their staff a pay offer that they would encourage their own members to reject.

‘BMA staff have worked tirelessly to support doctors both during Covid and through multiple rounds of industrial action.

‘We stand in solidarity with resident doctors in England and Scotland, many of whom we have got to know on the picket lines and who are speaking out against real terms pay cuts on this campaign for several years now.

‘We just wish the BMA’s chief executive, board, and council would see the disparity in treatment and make a fair offer that recognises our members’ worth.’

Each five day walkout by resident doctors costs the NHS around £250million to £300million, hampering efforts to cut waiting lists.

Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, today wrote to the BMA resident doctors’ committee urging them to end their ‘frustrating doom loop’, warning their ‘expensive’ and ‘disruptive’ strikes are blowing a ‘hole’ in NHS budgets and preventing him from improving their working conditions.

He wrote: ‘We’re at a point where there is much more that unites us than divides us, so let’s do everything we can to avert industrial action during winter, when our patients really rely on us being there for them, and our staff work so hard to deliver the best service they can.

‘The best way to achieve this is to keep working together and get round the table to thrash this out.’

The BMA disputed the GMB figures and said it was unable to afford a higher offer than it has made due to the fragile nature of its finances.

Rachel Podolak, chief executive of the BMA, said: ‘We do not recognise the pay award for BMA staff for 2026 is just two per cent. The total in year award ranges from three percent to 16 per cent.

‘When the total offer to our staff is considered – including three extra paid days leave on top of 30 days contractual annual leave and bank holidays, enhanced paternity leave and a non-consolidated lump sum – we are confident it is at or above market rates for comparable organisations and we regularly benchmark against industry standards.

‘I am grateful for the constructive discussions that have been held with members of the GMB and the mutual understanding of the financial recovery pathway the BMA is on to ensure we have and continue to have a financially sustainable future for our members and our staff.’