Pay dispute could escalate as awards are rejected

Almost 92% of Royal College of Nursing members in England, 80% of Unison, and 93% of GMB members said the 3% rise was unacceptable.

The 80% of Unison members who voted to reject the award also indicated they would be willing to take industrial action. However, with only 28% of members voting, the union is now undertaking further consultation before it can hold a formal ballot on industrial action – 50% of members must cast a vote for a strike to be held.

Aside from the immediate issue of the threat of industrial action, the dispute could lead to a longer-term change. Speaking at Unison’s annual health conference, which is being held virtually this week, head of health Sara Gorton (pictured) suggested the union could back a move away from the NHS pay review body (PRB) in favour of introducing collective bargaining.

‘With the PRB system, we are forever going to be on the back foot because we cannot consult members and because the government doesn’t wait to find the views of members before proceeding to implement the outcome of the pay round,’ she told the conference.

‘That’s previously been tolerated by members because they’ve found the outcomes of the review body settlement acceptable. But that could all be about to change.’

RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen insisted the question of whether nurses would take industrial action was in ministers’ hands. ‘We are placing the matter back in the hands of politicians and asking what they are going to do next,’ she said. ‘Ministers must avoid a further escalation of this situation. Faced with this result, they can signal they intend to listen and do the right thing.

‘Our members expect to see action from governments across the UK to pay nursing staff fairly. It is against the best interests of the health service, staff and patients for this issue to remain unaddressed – ministers are pushing people out of nursing when there are tens of thousands of unfilled jobs and patient care is being impacted.’

GMB national officer Rachel Harrison said its ballot result (where the award was rejected by 93%) was no surprise, adding that a 3% rise after a decade of real-terms pay cuts was insulting. The union has been calling for a 15% rise or an extra £2 an hour (whichever is higher) to restore the real-terms reductions in pay over the last decade.

‘With inflation at 4.8%, this settlement amounts to yet another real-terms pay cut. On top of that, GMB analysis shows the average NHS worker will pay more than £500 extra a year in increased National Insurance contributions,’ she said.

The GMB said it will launch a strike ballot, though it urged health and social care secretary Sajid Javid to meet staff representatives to avoid industrial action.

‘Our members are already working above and beyond their contracts and the NHS can’t continue to survive on this goodwill any longer. We are seeking urgent talks with the health secretary. He must meet NHS workers and discuss how to recognise and reward the true value of what they are doing,' Ms Harrison said.

‘Our health workers deserve a restorative 15% pay increase, not yet more salt in their wounds.’

Staff views on the pay awards across the UK differ. Nearly 94% of RCN members in Wales rejected their 3% pay rise, while more than two-thirds of members in Scotland have turned down an award that would give most Agenda for Change staff a 4% rise, backdated to 1 December 2020. Most other unions in Scotland, including Unison, have accepted the award.

A formal announcement is yet to be made in Northern Ireland. Health minister Robin Swann said he accepted the 3% recommendation from the pay review body, though a formal award hinges on the receipt of additional funding requested from the Northern Ireland executive.