Junior doctors to strike again before election

JUNIOR doctors in England are to stage a five-day strike in the run-up to the General Election.

Talks had recently reopened with a view to ending the long-running dispute over pay.

After the July 4 election was called last week, the British Medical Association (BMA) gave the Government "a final opportunity to make an offer and avoid strikes" but "this opportunity has not been taken up"

The union announced that junior doctors will stage a full walkout from 7am on June 27 to 7am on July 2.

The co-chairmen of the BMA junior doctors committee, Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, said in a statement: "We made clear to the Government that we would strike unless discussions ended in a credible pay offer."