News

Nurses must reject pay offer, urges cross-union group

NHS Workers Say No group says new offer ‘will do little to address the long-term recruitment and retention crisis’ and falls far too short of unions’ initial demands
Illustration of a tick against a 'No' box, as cross-union group calls for nurses to reject new pay offer

NHS Workers Say No group says new offer ‘will do little to address the long-term recruitment and retention crisis’ and falls far too short of unions’ initial demands

Illustration of a tick against a 'No' box, as cross-union group calls for nurses to reject new pay offer
Picture: iStock

Union members are leading a campaign to reject the government’s new pay offer for nurses in England, which they say is ‘an insult to NHS staff’.

Cross-union group NHS Workers Say No has been targeting members of the biggest health unions, including the RCN, GMB, Unison and Unite, and urging them to reject the latest pay deal.

The offer would see a 5% pay increase for 2023-24 and a one-off payment worth between £1,655 and £3,789 for this year (2022-23) for all staff on Agenda for Change contracts in England.

Critics say pay offer does not give above-inflation restorative rise

Union leaders from Unison and the RCN recommended their members accept the deal, but this sparked a backlash from some nurses who questioned how the offer would help with recruitment and retention. Many also say the offer falls far too short of unions’ initial demands of an above-inflation restorative pay rise.

A two-page leaflet sent out by NHS Workers Say No to thousands of health workers states: ‘We recognise the hard work of unions in getting to this position against a government that wasted months refusing to even directly negotiate.

‘Again this is not pay restoration. At best it is keeping up with inflation. At worst it is more real terms pay cuts. It will do little to address the long-term recruitment and retention crisis in the service.’

The group called on NHS staff to reject the offer, re-ballot for strike action and extend the strike mandate to fight for a better pay offer for staff.

Groups talks of ‘confused and disappointed’ union members

A spokesperson for NHS Workers Say No said they felt unions had ‘misjudged the mood’ and left many members feeling ‘confused and disappointed’.

They added: ‘We are surprised they are even putting this offer to members, let alone recommending to accept. We believe that the revised pay offer is an insult to NHS staff. We want to see consolidated offers rather than lump sums in an attempt to entice workers into giving up their fight for what they are owed.’

Minister suggests pay rise funding may come from existing NHS budgets

The group has also been hosting online meetings in a bid to persuade union members to vote against the offer announced on 16 March.

Meanwhile, amid growing concern over how a pay rise would be funded, Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden suggested to Sky News yesterday that the money may have to come from existing NHS budgets – but promised funds would not be taken away from front-line services.

RCN members should vote in pay ballot, says college

An RCN spokesperson said the best way for members to tell the government and college how they feel about the offer was to vote in the upcoming ballot.

They added: ‘This democratic process is extremely important to us and we always committed to giving members a vote on the government’s final offer. All NHS staff can see what they would personally gain from the deal and vote accordingly.’


In other news

Jobs