JUNIOR DOCTORS in Wales entered the second day of strike action today with a mass rally of hundreds of BMA members outside the Senedd in Cardiff.

Many home-made signs called for full pay restoration and, in a nod to the Covid applause for the NHS, some signs read: “Claps don’t pay the bills.”

Oba Babs-Osibodu, Newport registrar and junior doctors’ leader in Wales, told the demonstration that the offer from the Welsh government was the worst in Britain.

To chants of “Shame on them,” he said: “The system is fundamentally broken as our pay has been eroded by 29.6 per cent since 2008.”

Plaid Cymru’s Senedd members were out in force but Welsh Labour politicians were conspicuous by their absence.

Plaid’s health spokesman Mabon ap Gwynfor said: “You would expect Welsh Labour backbenchers would show their solidarity, but we are seeing a different party under Sir Keir Starmer.”

A response earlier in the morning from Health Minister Elunid Morgan to the Morning Star set out a potential resolution.

Ms Morgan told the Star that the Welsh government was committed to pay restoration and further money in the future was possible.

But the minister said a 5 per cent increase was the maximum the Welsh government could pay this year without further cuts in the NHS.

“We are open to any negotiations on this that does not cost any more this year and we have made a commitment to pay restoration in the future,” Ms Morgan said.

BMA Cymru co-chairman Peter Fahey said in response to Ms Morgan: “We have said it [increased pay] doesn’t have to be delivered all at once: there are different ways we can approach this, but we do need a credible offer to start negotiating with.

“We are willing to enter into talks about pay restoration and recognise this is a journey which will not have a resolution overnight.”

The minister also pointed to the difficulties her officials had in getting answers from the UK government over how it had funded the 6 per cent settlement in England. 

“My officials have been seeking details for months now on how the Westminster government funded its settlement, and it has failed to provide any details and whether there would be a consequential increase in funding for Wales,” Ms Morgan said.