18.09.14
NHS staff in England vote to strike over pay
NHS staff in England have voted in favour of strike action over pay, for the first time in 32 years.
Unison members, including nurses, occupational therapists, porters, paramedics, medical secretaries and healthcare assistants, have voted 68% in favour of strike action.
Three other unions – GMB, Unite and the Royal College of Midwives – have also balloted their members, with the results expected in the coming weeks.
The action is being taken over the government’s decision to institute a below-inflation 1% non-consolidated pay rise, which the 600,000 staff who receive progression pay increases over 1% will not receive. The government ignored the recommendations of the NHS Pay Review Body, which specifically said that a non-consolidated pay award could have an “adverse impact on staff engagement and motivation” and recommended against it.
After the vote, Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: “This government's treatment of NHS workers has angered them and this anger has now turned into action. Refusing to pay them even a paltry 1% shows what the government really thinks about its health workers. Inflation has continued to rise since 2011 and the value of NHS pay has fallen by around 12%.
“We know health workers don’t take strike action lightly or often. The last action over pay was 32 years ago. But we also know a demoralised and demotivated workforce isn’t good for patients.
"If we move into industrial action we will work with NHS employers to minimise the impact on patients. But it's not too late for Jeremy Hunt to act to avoid this and we repeat our offer to the government to negotiate with us. To date the Secretary of State has refused to meet with health unions to negotiate pay."
The yes vote has raised concerns about patient care should a strike occur. Gill Bellord, director of employment relations and reward at NHS Employers, has urged unions to give more than the statutory seven days notice required so that they have the opportunity to plan patient care.
"This yes-vote is disappointing for the NHS and will concern thousands of patients who rely on its services, as well as many staff,” Bellord said. “But we remain hopeful that a decision will be made not to proceed with strike action.
“We completely understand the frustration of many staff following a prolonged period of pay restraint but patient safety must always be our first priority. Employers need to maximise their ability to retain staff and plan changes to how they work in response to the changing needs of patients, and major financial challenges have made stark choices inevitable.
“I would strongly urge unions to take patients out of this dispute and instead continue constructive discussions, exploring ways to come out of this period of pay restraint in a sustainable way.”
A Department of Health spokesperson expressed disappointment that Unison rejected the 1% pay rise and is planning industrial action, going on to say that the department is keen to meet with unions to discuss how they can work together to make the NHS pay system fairer and more affordable.
Unison is now expected to wait for the result of the ballots of the other unions before forming a strategy on what action to take and when.
(Image: Royal College of Nurses hold a rally to protest lack of funding in 2006. c. Bruno Vincent/Getty Images)
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