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RCN to launch pay campaign

The Royal College of Nursing will launch a campaign on pay following the government's announcement that salaries will be capped at 1% till 2020

A campaign on pay will be launched by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) following chancellor George Osborne's shock announcement that nurses will have their pay rises capped at 1% until 2020.

At a meeting in London last week, the RCN’s ruling council heard that the college will develop a pay strategy and campaign - although at this stage, no further details are available.

Unions including the RCN, Unison and Unite, condemned Mr Osborne's announcement made in his budget statement earlier this month, that public sector workers will receive cost of living rises of no more than 1% for the next five years

At the time, RCN general secretary Peter Carter who leaves the college after eight years this week (July 31), said: ‘Nurses are already feeling the effect of what will now be a decade of severe pay restraint and subsequent reduced living standards.

'The RCN continues to urge nurses to claim pay for overtime.  Last year, it ran an Excess Hours campaign, asking nurses to keep a record of their overtime and claim for it.  RCN council member Anne Wells told the meeting that the college will continue to provide information for members on their employment rights around the issue.'