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Threat of industrial action looms as nurses vent their anger on pay By Kat Keogh
@katkeogh
Nurses could be set for an autumn of industrial action after four health unions announced plans to ballot members on action. More than 400,000 members of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), Unison, Unite and the GMB will be balloted for industrial action over pay. The unions say members – including nurses and midwives – are angry over the government’s refusal to give all NHS staff a 1 per cent cost of living pay rise. The row has been growing since March, when health secretary Jeremy
Hunt rejected the recommendation by the independent NHS Pay Review Body to award a cost-of-living increase to all staff on Agenda for Change. The move means 70 per cent of nurses and midwives in England missed out on a pay rise this year. The unions are holding individual ballots in August and September, with any action likely to take place in the autumn and winter. It will be the first time in the RCM’s history that the college has balloted for action. RCM chief executive Cathy Warwick said the significance of the ballot showed just how frustrated
members are: ‘Midwives are working harder than ever, yet the government has chosen to ignore the independent Pay Review Body and deny them a pay rise. ‘The fact that our members are contemplating industrial action shows how significant this is. We have, however, been very clear that women and their babies would not be put at risk if members decide on industrial action.’ All four unions have insisted any action would be a last resort. Unison will be balloting its 300,000 NHS members from August. A ‘yes’ vote will lead to stoppages in early October, followed by further strikes and action short of a strike over the autumn and winter.
MOD/CROWN COPYRIGHT
Lobbying
RCN honoured for supporting reservists The RCN has received a national award at Downing Street for supporting nurses who are reservists in the armed forces. The college is one of only ten recipients of a gold award from the Ministry of Defence’s employer recognition scheme, which honours employers who support staff who are reservists. It has been recognised for
support such as allowing employees to go overseas on operations. RCN general secretary Peter Carter and army reservist and RCN member Anna Crossley (pictured above with prime minister David Cameron) received the award at the annual armed forces reception. Dr Carter said: ‘There are many nurses involved in the armed forces and the RCN is keen to support them.’
Head of nursing Gail Adams said the industrial action would be a culmination of anger felt not only over pay, but also over staff shortages and NHS restructuring. The RCN says it has no plans to ballot members over industrial action, and has instead urged nurses to lobby their local MP on the pay issue. An NHS Employers spokesperson said it is already working with organisations to prepare them for any action by their staff: ‘Conversations between unions and local employers would be necessary if action is called, to discuss how disruption to patient care is minimised, and we will review our guidance to employers once the outcome of the ballots is known.’ A Department of Health spokesperson said the department is ‘disappointed’ at news of the ballots. ‘There is still time for the unions to put patients first and accept our offer to come back to the negotiating table,’ the spokesperson added. See analysis page 14
NURSING STANDARD julyNo 30other :: voluses 28 without no 48 ::permission. 2014 7 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 19, 2015. For personal use only. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
Share your news with us – email [email protected], call +44 (0)20 8872 3144 or @NScomment
Threat of industrial action looms as nurses vent their anger on pay By Kat Keogh
@katkeogh
Nurses could be set for an autumn of industrial action after four health unions announced plans to ballot members on action. More than 400,000 members of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), Unison, Unite and the GMB will be balloted for industrial action over pay. The unions say members – including nurses and midwives – are angry over the government’s refusal to give all NHS staff a 1 per cent cost of living pay rise. The row has been growing since March, when health secretary Jeremy
Hunt rejected the recommendation by the independent NHS Pay Review Body to award a cost-of-living increase to all staff on Agenda for Change. The move means 70 per cent of nurses and midwives in England missed out on a pay rise this year. The unions are holding individual ballots in August and September, with any action likely to take place in the autumn and winter. It will be the first time in the RCM’s history that the college has balloted for action. RCM chief executive Cathy Warwick said the significance of the ballot showed just how frustrated
members are: ‘Midwives are working harder than ever, yet the government has chosen to ignore the independent Pay Review Body and deny them a pay rise. ‘The fact that our members are contemplating industrial action shows how significant this is. We have, however, been very clear that women and their babies would not be put at risk if members decide on industrial action.’ All four unions have insisted any action would be a last resort. Unison will be balloting its 300,000 NHS members from August. A ‘yes’ vote will lead to stoppages in early October, followed by further strikes and action short of a strike over the autumn and winter.
MOD/CROWN COPYRIGHT
Lobbying
RCN honoured for supporting reservists The RCN has received a national award at Downing Street for supporting nurses who are reservists in the armed forces. The college is one of only ten recipients of a gold award from the Ministry of Defence’s employer recognition scheme, which honours employers who support staff who are reservists. It has been recognised for
support such as allowing employees to go overseas on operations. RCN general secretary Peter Carter and army reservist and RCN member Anna Crossley (pictured above with prime minister David Cameron) received the award at the annual armed forces reception. Dr Carter said: ‘There are many nurses involved in the armed forces and the RCN is keen to support them.’
Head of nursing Gail Adams said the industrial action would be a culmination of anger felt not only over pay, but also over staff shortages and NHS restructuring. The RCN says it has no plans to ballot members over industrial action, and has instead urged nurses to lobby their local MP on the pay issue. An NHS Employers spokesperson said it is already working with organisations to prepare them for any action by their staff: ‘Conversations between unions and local employers would be necessary if action is called, to discuss how disruption to patient care is minimised, and we will review our guidance to employers once the outcome of the ballots is known.’ A Department of Health spokesperson said the department is ‘disappointed’ at news of the ballots. ‘There is still time for the unions to put patients first and accept our offer to come back to the negotiating table,’ the spokesperson added. See analysis page 14
NURSING STANDARD julyNo 30other :: voluses 28 without no 48 ::permission. 2014 7 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 19, 2015. For personal use only. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
