We made a pledge to align with our UK colleagues and strive for full pay restoration, at the end of 2022.

The aim to achieve full pay restoration to address the real-terms (RPI) pay cut of 26.1% junior doctors in Wales have experienced since 2008 remains a priority but one it will require a colossal effort. Central to its success will be the recruitment of pay activists across Wales and we will need your help.

We need to create a movement of junior-doctor pay activists to share our message to members locally and help us to build momentum. We will be holding introductory sessions to our pay-activist training in February. You can register your interest in becoming a pay activist here

Dr Babiker

Since we were elected in November, the campaign for pay restoration has been a top priority. As a committee we joined colleagues in England in deciding not to submit evidence to the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration, the pay review body for doctors and dentists. We made this decision as we feel the DDRB lacks independence from the Government and the process requires urgent reform to be capable of delivering a pay rise which reflects our value to the NHS in Wales. 

We have written to the minister for health and social services Eluned Morgan to confirm this and have requested an urgent meeting to discuss addressing the years of pay erosion we have seen in Wales.

In England, the UK Government has failed to commit to full pay restoration for junior doctors and, therefore, our colleagues there are being balloted to establish their support for strike action. We are not yet at this stage in Wales, and we hope the Welsh Government, in seeing the actions of our colleagues in England, will understand the importance of entering into meaningful conversations about pay restoration for trainees in Wales.

Join us in our fight for fair pay by signing up to become a pay activist today.

Georgina Budd and Amna Babiker are co-chairs of the BMA Welsh junior doctors committee