Ministers in legal move to cut nurse strike short
Health Secretary Steve Barclay is to ask judges to rule whether part of the next nurse strike is unlawful.
The government wants the High Court to assess whether Tuesday - the last day of the walkout in England - falls outside the Royal College of Nursing's six-month mandate for action.
It believes the mandate will have lapsed by Tuesday - the 48-hour strike is due to start at 20:00 BST on Sunday.
The RCN accused ministers of using "draconian anti-union legislation".
Mr Barclay's decision to take legal action follows a request from hospital bosses.
The RCN argues the strike falls within the required six-month period from when votes were cast in its ballot for industrial action.
But NHS Employers said it had legal advice that the action would be unlawful.
Source: BBC News, 24 April 2023