Resident doctors announce a 5-day strike just before Christmas, unhappy with their wages, in England. They demand the adjustment to the actual level of 2008

Resident doctors in England will stage a five-day strike from December 17, just before Christmas, citing the government's failure to make a credible offer on jobs and wages, a union representing them said on Monday, according to Reuters.

The British Medical Association (BMA), which has been in a months-long dispute with the government on behalf of resident doctors, says the government's 5.4% pay offer does not compensate for years of inflation-adjusted pay erosion, while the London government says the deal is fair and affordable.

In response to the latest strike notice, Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticized the BMA for choosing to strike “when it will cause maximum disruption” and “immeasurable anxiety”.

“These strikes are in nobody's interest and there is no moral justification for them,” Streeting said in a statement issued by his ministry, adding that the government remained open to negotiations.

Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, staged a five-day strike last month and another five in July after the government signaled it could not meet their demands for an improved pay deal this year.

Last year, the then newly elected Labor government quickly agreed a 22% pay rise with doctors as part of its commitment to improve the NHS and in hopes of ending a long-running dispute.

The BMA has called for a 29% rise this year to restore wages to 2008 levels in real terms. Streeting wrote to the union last month, stressing that “the enormous financial pressures facing the country mean that I cannot go ahead with the payment I have made”.