Posted 22 March 2023 - 13:01
Posted 22 March 2023 - 13:01
News
Nurses’ pay deal ballot: when it opens and how to vote
The RCN is urging members to vote yes for the newly negotiated pay offer in the ballot, while others have branded it ‘insulting’
The RCN is urging members to vote yes for the newly negotiated pay offer in the ballot, while others have branded it ‘insulting’
Nurses in England will be able to have their say on the government’s new pay offer when a ballot opens next week.
The RCN has announced it will open its ballot on 28 March and will give members just over two weeks to vote on the new pay offer.
RCN pay deal ballot opens on 28 March
The offer includes a 5% pay rise for 2023-24 and a one-off payment of between £1,655 and £3,789 for this year (2022-23). The one-off payment is on top of a 4% consolidated increase already offered for 2022-23.
The government also agreed to create a new ‘pay spine’ exclusively for all nursing staff and made a commitment to a national safe staffing framework, focusing on registered nurses.
The RCN is recommending that members accept the offer, but some nurses have branded it ‘insulting’ and said it falls far short of unions’ initial demand of an above-inflation restorative pay rise.
Cross-union group NHS Workers Say No calls for nurses to reject offer
Many, including cross-union group NHS Workers Say No, have been calling for nurses to reject the deal and resume strike action in the hope of a better offer.
But RCN general secretary Pat Cullen warned that talks would not be reopened if the deal was rejected. Writing in a blog, she said when the 2022-23 consolidated and non-consolidated offers were combined, many members would be getting a pay rise equal to, or slightly higher than, the current level of inflation.
Speaking to members during a Q&A session on 21 March, Ms Cullen said: ‘Over three weeks we certainly asked for much more than what has been offered. The government increased its pay offer each time. But there comes a point in negotiations where you know the other side won’t give any more.
‘This is not the first offer either; it’s the government’s final offer. The RCN said no to a dozen earlier versions of this to get the government higher.’
Strike mandate does not cover 2023-24 pay award
Ms Cullen also said the college’s strike mandate was only for the 2022-23 pay award and any industrial action for the 2023-24 pay offer would require another statutory ballot.
The ballot will open on the RCN’s website at 9am on 28 March and nurses will have until 9am on 14 April to vote. The RCN is urging all members to ensure their details are up to date.
Unison is also recommending its members vote in favour of the new offer, while Unite has said the offer is not one it can recommend. Other unions have not yet announced their ballot dates.
RCN members can check their details and log in to vote here.
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