Star comment: Strike is a troubling decision

Their actions are troubling for a number of reasons. The health workers have undertaken the first pay-related strike in 30 years. Those workers are, as a group, naturally reluctant to down tools.

Many who work in the NHS do so because it is their passion, as well as it being their work.

Seven unions are involved in the strike, which demonstrates the widespread grievance that staff have about their pay. It is neither a hasty nor a provocative action.

The Government says it can't afford to make the sort of pay increases that health workers want. Health workers say they are not willing to see a fall in their "real" earnings, which have fallen once inflation is taken into account.

• Is it right that nurses, midwives and other health workers should go on strike? Vote in our poll and have your say in the comment box below.

In the middle of the row are those innocent, tax-paying members of society who have faced cancelled operations, rescheduled outpatient operations and closed community clinics.

The problem is not going to simply go away and both sides must find a way to resolve it. It is in the nation's interest that they do so.

Many will have sympathy for both sides of the coin. There is a widespread acceptance that the Government has to continue to balance the books by reducing the nation's colossal deficit. That means continuing sacrifice for many.

The medicine may be unpalatable to some. But the nation's recovery is continuing. Having come so far, it would be foolish to undermine matters now.

However, the human argument is strong. Workers who are the angels of society are facing a reduction in their spending power. Their wages are not keeping pace with the increased cost of living. And that means they are being forced to cut back on food, energy, clothing and other essentials.

The strike action is not a flash-in-the-pan, many health workers will have struggled with their consciences before walking out. However, the Government's determination to fix the economy is understandable. We must never again allow our economy to slip into freefall.

Both sides must sit down and talk. They must reach a settlement that helps health workers, does not adversely affect the economy and also provides the care that patients deserve.

• See also: One in three in paramedics joined in Shropshire health strike