'I'm ready to lose my job': We spoke to the NHS workers marching against mandatory vaccines in Manchester

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Huge crowds of people took to the streets of Manchester today (January 22), making a dramatic stand against the NHS Covid vaccine mandate.

The city centre demonstration stopped trams, blocked roads, and even stormed the Arndale Centre.

Among them, were hundreds of healthcare workers - some who made a statement by hanging up their scrubs on a gate on Oxford Street.

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They scribbled on them their job titles, and the number of years they had worked.

Many revealed they were willing to call time on their career in the NHS after the government said those who aren't double jabbed by April will face losing their jobs.

The Manchester Evening News caught up with some of the NHS workers at the end of the three-hour protest.

Gemma, who didn't wish to give her surname, has been working in Greater Manchester as an emergency medical technician for five years.

She, like many of the other NHS staff marching, was wearing an NHS blue hoodie with ''NHS100K' written on it.

"You should have a right to choose about your own body," Gemma said.

"They're trying to force it on NHS staff to have the jab or lose your job.

"I'm ready to lose my job and I'm waiting for them to fire me. It's stressful. I feel hopeless."

However, she felt slightly less hopeless today.

"It feels good to be around the support," she said.

Diane Halliwell has worked as a clinical support worker at the Royal Lancashire Infirmary for 36 years.

She says that NHS workers are 'virtually being blackmailed' into getting the vaccine.

She said that today's march was about being 'pro-choice'.

"I'm hoping the government sees sense because they will lose so much staff - with a lot of very