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Nurses' 5% pay rise signed off despite threat of more strikes

Meeting of health unions agrees to accept government pay offer, which will go ahead despite rejection by RCN and others
Nurses on strike in Leeds on Monday

Meeting of health unions agrees to accept government pay offer, which will go ahead despite rejection by RCN and others

Nurses on strike in Leeds on Monday
Nurses on strike in Leeds on Monday Picture: John Houlihan

Nurses and other NHS workers in England will get a 5% pay rise after health unions voted to accept the offer.

Union representatives on the NHS Staff Council met today to cast their final votes on the government’s latest pay offer, which also included a one-off payment of between £1,655 and £3,789 for 2022-23.

The staff council as a whole accepted the improved pay offer this afternoon, paving the way for the government to enforce the offer for all staff on Agenda for Change contracts in England.

This is despite several unions in the council, including the RCN and Unite, remaining in dispute with the government after their members voted to reject the offer. Other healthcare staff, including members of Unison, GMB and unions representing physiotherapists and midwives voted to accept the offer.

Barclay says rise will now be implemented for all staff on Agenda for Change contracts

Unison head of health Sara Gorton said: ‘NHS workers will now want the pay rise they've voted to accept. The hope is that the one-off payment and salary increase will be in June’s pay packets.

‘This pay deal must be the start of something new in the NHS. There cannot be a repeat of the past few months.’

She added that healthcare staff should never have needed to go on strike on the unprecedented scale that has been seen. Nurses, ambulance workers and physiotherapists have all taken strike action since December.

Health and social care secretary Steve Barclay said he was pleased with the Staff Council’s decision.

Mr Barclay said: ‘It is now my intention to implement this for all staff on the Agenda for Change contracts and where some unions may choose to remain in dispute, we hope their members – many of whom voted to accept this offer – will recognise this as a fair outcome that carries the support of their colleagues and decide it is time to bring industrial action to an end.’

Striking nurses on picket lines on Monday in Exeter
Striking nurses on picket lines on Monday in Exeter Picture: Apex

RCN’s Pat Cullen has implored Barclay to return to the table for fresh negotiations

The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed the pay rise will be in staff’s pay packets this summer.

The department is working with the treasury to ensure it can fully fund the deal. Ministers had previously budgeted a 3.5% pay rise for 2023-24.

Nurses took to picket lines again over the bank holiday weekend to protest against the below-inflation pay offer and concerns over safe staffing.

Ahead of the strikes, RCN general secretary Pat Cullen implored Mr Barclay to return to the table for fresh negotiations, but he insisted the 5% increase was a ‘best and final offer’.

Pat Cullen calls on Barclay to meet her for fresh talks

In a letter to Mr Barclay following the vote, Ms Cullen said: ‘We understand the government’s intention now to pay the award to the NHS workforce as a whole. Though the pay offer was not enough for our members, I have repeatedly said that the government’s approach should be to build upon it and that remains our position.

‘Two weeks ago, I accepted your invitation of a meeting to discuss a way forward and I would still wish to meet. It is my view that negotiations and a resulting additional offer that values nursing staff can prevent further action and bring this dispute to a close.’

The RCN is now set to re-ballot its members on a further six-month strike mandate for June to December covering both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 pay years.


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