MEMBERS of Bolton TUC joined junior doctors on the picket line this week.
They were heartened to find that the intransigence displayed by the Tory government has strengthened the doctors' resolve.
From the outset the doctors have recognised the government position as an attack on the NHS itself, and this was clear from many conversations on the picket line at Royal Bolton Hospital, where an empty chair labelled "Jeremy Hunt" was a powerful symbol.
Bolton TUC urges everyone to support the doctors through the difficult times ahead. No misinformation will be off limits now, as the government propaganda machine goes into overdrive. Already the miners' strike is being referenced by ministers, reflecting their determination to beat the doctors at all costs.
We need to remember that empty chair whenever doctors are blamed for disrupting patient care. We need to remember that the doctors are united in their fight to protect our NHS. And we must ask ourselves who we trust more — the doctors and their BMA or Jeremy Hunt and the Tory government.
Tom Hanley
Bolton TUC
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