READERS have overwhelmingly voiced their support for nurses after they voted in a ballot for an unprecedented national strike in a dispute over pay and working conditions.

More than 300,000 members of the UK's largest nursing union, the Royal College of Nurses (RCN), returned the biggest-ever ballot in the union's 106-year history, and while counting is still underway, RCN officials believe enough members have voted in favour of winter industrial action which is set to take place within a few weeks and possibly before Christmas.

Despite the cost-of-living crisis facing the country currently, many believe that nurses are justified in demanding better pay.

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Peter Garbacz said: "Fully support them - now is the time for them to be rewarded with a decent pay deal, not just claps on the doorstep."

Charlie Dowthwaite encouraged more workers to take industrial action.

"I fully support the NHS staff in their industrial action especially after working long hours through the pandemic, putting their own lives at risk," he said.

"This action and the industrial action from the rail, postal, and BT workers, and hopefully more workers will take action and make this government pay the price.

"Workers from any section should not have to pay the price for this government's incompetence - solidarity to all!"

Garry Barry also blamed the actions of the Conservative administration.

"It's a shame they have been forced into this situation by a Conservative government that has run the NHS into the ground for the last 12 years," he said.

"It's no wonder that nurse recruitment is at the lowest it's ever been and registered nurses are leaving the profession in numbers measuring tens of thousands."

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Dalton, however, said that it wouldn't have been any different had a different government been in place.

"Leaving the job is their choice - people have to be realistic today as to what their job is worth," he said.

"Nursing, when it was seen as a vocation and well paid attracted the wrong people. 

"Now the going is tough they don't want it. The country invested in them. 

"If they want to walk away over a few pounds at a time when the country is under the cosh then so be it. 

"If you believe a Labour government would have given everyone who is striking a pay rise you are totally misguided."