Ballot to be called if pay cap remains in place, RCN warns
Posted 28 September 2017 - 13:48
The RCN will move towards balloting members on industrial action if the 1% cap on NHS pay is not lifted by the November budget.
The decision to continue the campaign for fair nursing pay was made by RCN Council on Wednesday after the college condemned the UK Government’s ‘vague’ signals that there will be increased wage rises from next year.
The treasury has written to the independent NHS Pay Review Body setting out its remit for making recommendations on pay.
It reiterates that it can apply greater ‘flexibility’ in its approach, but fails to explicitly mention scrapping the cap.
Earlier this month, the RCN was one of 14 health unions to write to chancellor Philip Hammond urging him to earmark funds in the budget for a pay rise in line with retail price index inflation, currently 3.9%, and an additional £800 to restore some of the pay lost over the past seven years.
Now the RCN has urged members to lobby their local MPs ahead of the budget on 22 November.
The college said it will contact members soon about ways they can prepare for a future ballot on industrial action.
Further information
- RCN and other health unions call for 3.9% pay rise for NHS staff
- Public agree government should scrap the cap, survey shows
In other news
- Hundreds of nurses and midwives aged over 70, NMC reveals
- Draft proficiency standards for nursing associates to be published