Today (19/7/22) the NHS Pay Review Body in England has announced NHS workers will receive a consolidated sum of £1,400 which is effectively a 9.3% pay rise for the very lowest paid workers, which is to be welcomed, but would only guarantee a 4% for bands 6 & 7 which mainly affects nurse and midwifery staff.
The Welsh Government is expected to make its own announcement on NHS pay tomorrow (20/7/22) and will be meeting with UNISON Cymru/Wales leaders as the union is campaigning for NHS pay to be put right. In this meeting UNISON will be calling for a NHS Pay Review body plus arrangement for Wales that deals with the cost of living crisis for all health workers.
NHS Workers Say No are furious for ourselves, our patients and our fellow workers after yet another insult from this Government.
Today's pay award equates to nowhere near the current rate of inflation for most workers, so in reality is yet another pay cut.
After over a decade of Tory cuts we have recruitment and retention crisis. Thousands of colleagues are leaving the NHS and some services are under unprecedented pressure during summer.
We need a restorative pay rise that is fully funded by the government, not taken from other parts of the overstretched NHS budget.
We urge the health unions to move immediately to ballot all Agenda for Change members recommending they REJECT the offer and prepare for industrial action.
We urge the unions to co ordinate their ballot dates as far as possible and prepare and distribute joint material in every workplace recommending rejection. We should form cross-union committees in every workplace and ensure our unions co ordinate any future industrial action for maximum effect.
It is important to note that NHS pay awards are not the result of any negotiation but are hived off to an external body. This undermines the ability of unions to negotiate. We call on the unions to withdraw from the Pay Review process and advocate a return to direct negotiation and collective bargaining.
We are heartened to see so many workers across the country, in the public and private sector, taking action to defend their standard of living. We hope that healthworkers will soon be joining them.
Together we are strong, and we must send a clear message that we refuse to be degraded any further by this Government.
REJECT the offer - get ready to strike!
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