Posted 21 August 2024 - 13:55
Posted 21 August 2024 - 13:55
News
Nurses in Scotland to vote on latest pay offer: will it be enough?
The Scottish Government has made a 5.5% pay offer to NHS healthcare staff on Agenda for Change contracts for 2024-25, backdated to 1 April. The offer comes after a long delay in the pay process, which unions say has hit nurse morale. They are now considering the details before consulting members. The offer is in line with that for nursing staff in the other UK countries.
After months of ‘dithering’, the Scottish Government has made a 5.5% pay offer, which unions will put to members
This story was updated on 27 August
Nursing unions are set to ask their members in Scotland to vote on a new 5.5.% pay offer, after months of ‘deeply unfair dithering on pay’ by the Scottish Government.
The offer for 2024-25, which follows weeks of negotiations with trade unions and NHS Employers, would see NHS staff on Agenda for Change (AfC) contracts get a consolidated 5.5% pay increase, backdated to 1 April 2024.
Unions to consult members over pay offers
The deal matches the recommendations made by the NHS Pay Review Body last month for 1.3 million NHS staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The RCN is currently asking eligible members in England to vote on the pay award via an online consultation.
Pay negotiations are devolved in Scotland, and health trade unions submitted a joint pay claim to the government there in February. RCN Scotland says the details of the offer announced on 20 August are now being considered by the RCN Scotland board before being put to members.
Meanwhile, Unison Scotland confirmed that its health committee will meet on Friday with a view to starting its members consultation in the coming days.
Government ‘dithering’ has affected staff morale, says union chief
RCN Scotland director Colin Poolman said: ‘It has taken months of pressure from the RCN and other health trade unions to get to this point. Nursing staff are rightly frustrated that the Scottish Government has kept them waiting while the cost of living has continued to increase.
‘Our pay claim, submitted in February, called for an offer that reflects increases in living costs and begins to address the historic erosion of pay. Our members will decide if this announcement is enough.’
Unison Scotland’s lead on NHS pay, Matt McLaughlin, added: ‘Finally, workers will have the opportunity to decide whether to accept or reject the proposed raise.
‘NHS staff were due a pay rise five months ago and making them wait for so long is deeply unfair. This delay cannot be repeated at the next pay round. The Scottish Government must recognise that dithering on pay directly affects staff morale.’
Health secretary optimistic that ‘best’ pay deal will be accepted
The offer applies to 170,000 NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts in Scotland, including nurses, midwives, paramedics, allied health professionals and porters.
Scotland health and social care secretary Neil Gray said he hoped the deal would be accepted so that nurses in the country would have ‘the best pay packet in the UK’.
He added: ‘I want to express my thanks again to Scotland’s hardworking healthcare staff for their commitment and patience – they are the very backbone of the NHS and we are committed to supporting them, particularly during a cost of living crisis.'
Update to story on 27 August:
The pay consultation opened for eligible members of RCN Scotland on 27 August and will run until 20 September.
More details and how to vote
Vote on the NHS pay offer for Agenda for Change staff in Scotland
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