Category: nhs pay

NHS staff need better pay, not divisive distractions, says UNISON

Commenting on the government’s launch of a consultation on the introduction of a separate pay spine for nurses in England, UNISON acting head of health Helga Pile said:

“The NHS needs greater funding to be able to offer decent pay for all staff. That’s the way to recruit and retain the workforce that’s needed.

“Pitting different groups of staff against each other for a larger slice of what’s available is the wrong approach. It would divert time and resources from the real problems, damage team morale and tie employers up in years of equal pay claims.

“Nurses – along with all other NHS staff – are rightly furious about being underpaid and poorly recognised for the work they do.

“Instead of creating divisive distractions, ministers should be looking to grade nurses properly, so they’re paid fairly for their skills and training, improve career progression and offer decent overtime rates for all.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Dan Ashley M: 07908 672893 E: d.ashley@unison.co.uk
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk

The article NHS staff need better pay, not divisive distractions, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

NHS staff need better pay, not divisive distractions, says UNISON

Commenting on the government’s launch of a consultation on the introduction of a separate pay spine for nurses in England, UNISON acting head of health Helga Pile said:

“The NHS needs greater funding to be able to offer decent pay for all staff. That’s the way to recruit and retain the workforce that’s needed.

“Pitting different groups of staff against each other for a larger slice of what’s available is the wrong approach. It would divert time and resources from the real problems, damage team morale and tie employers up in years of equal pay claims.

“Nurses – along with all other NHS staff – are rightly furious about being underpaid and poorly recognised for the work they do.

“Instead of creating divisive distractions, ministers should be looking to grade nurses properly, so they’re paid fairly for their skills and training, improve career progression and offer decent overtime rates for all.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Dan Ashley M: 07908 672893 E: d.ashley@unison.co.uk
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk

The article NHS staff need better pay, not divisive distractions, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Government must hold NHS pay talks early in the new year, says UNISON

Commenting on the government issuing of remits to the pay review bodies today (Wednesday), which effectively start the NHS pay setting process for next year, UNISON acting head of health Helga Pile said:
“The government is in danger of ignoring the lessons from last winter’s NHS dispute.
“In the summer of last year, health unions had called for pay talks as the only way to avoid industrial action. Ministers refused, so strikes took place across the NHS.
“By issuing the pay review body remit letters so late in the day, the government has once again failed to plan ahead. NHS staff now won’t get the wage increase they’re due in April on time.
“But improving wages across the health service is key to solving the staffing crisis affecting every part of the NHS.
“The deal to resolve the recent dispute included a government commitment to review the failing process for setting pay.
“Falling back on the same discredited system won’t give staff confidence that ministers are taking any of the huge problems affecting the NHS seriously.
“There simply isn’t time to allow the long-winded pay review body process to run its course, especially when
everyone knows ministers are calling the shots.
“Victoria Atkins must do the right thing for NHS staff and patients by holding proper pay talks early in the new year. Otherwise, there’s a risk of a repeat of the disruption that affected so much of the NHS last winter.
“As a matter of urgency, the government must deliver the funding to cover this year’s pay rise in Northern Ireland. Then struggling health workers there can catch up and further strikes can be avoided.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contact:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk

The article Government must hold NHS pay talks early in the new year, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Government must hold NHS pay talks early in the new year, says UNISON

Commenting on the government issuing of remits to the pay review bodies today (Wednesday), which effectively start the NHS pay setting process for next year, UNISON acting head of health Helga Pile said:
“The government is in danger of ignoring the lessons from last winter’s NHS dispute.
“In the summer of last year, health unions had called for pay talks as the only way to avoid industrial action. Ministers refused, so strikes took place across the NHS.
“By issuing the pay review body remit letters so late in the day, the government has once again failed to plan ahead. NHS staff now won’t get the wage increase they’re due in April on time.
“But improving wages across the health service is key to solving the staffing crisis affecting every part of the NHS.
“The deal to resolve the recent dispute included a government commitment to review the failing process for setting pay.
“Falling back on the same discredited system won’t give staff confidence that ministers are taking any of the huge problems affecting the NHS seriously.
“There simply isn’t time to allow the long-winded pay review body process to run its course, especially when
everyone knows ministers are calling the shots.
“Victoria Atkins must do the right thing for NHS staff and patients by holding proper pay talks early in the new year. Otherwise, there’s a risk of a repeat of the disruption that affected so much of the NHS last winter.
“As a matter of urgency, the government must deliver the funding to cover this year’s pay rise in Northern Ireland. Then struggling health workers there can catch up and further strikes can be avoided.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contact:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk

The article Government must hold NHS pay talks early in the new year, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Improving wages and fixing social care must be among new health secretary’s priorities

Commenting on the appointment of Victoria Atkins as the new secretary of state for health today (Monday), UNISON acting head of health Helga Pile said:

“Waiting lists and delays to treatment show no signs of abating. Winter is just around the corner and that’s always a challenging time for an NHS that’s both under-funded and thousands of staff short.

“Steve Barclay couldn’t solve the many problems affecting services and patients. The new health secretary has certainly got her work cut out.

“Improving wages across the NHS is a must, so trusts no longer struggle to hold on to experienced staff or to fill vacant posts.

“That means delivering on the commitments already agreed with unions in this year’s pay deal. And getting talks on earnings and staffing in the secretaryof state’s diary at the earliest opportunity.

“Perhaps the biggest challenge though is to start what all her predecessors have failed to do and fix the crisis in social care. Once that begins to be tackled, the pressures on the NHS and its staff will start to lift.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Improving wages and fixing social care must be among new health secretary’s priorities first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Improving wages and fixing social care must be among new health secretary’s priorities

Commenting on the appointment of Victoria Atkins as the new secretary of state for health today (Monday), UNISON acting head of health Helga Pile said:

“Waiting lists and delays to treatment show no signs of abating. Winter is just around the corner and that’s always a challenging time for an NHS that’s both under-funded and thousands of staff short.

“Steve Barclay couldn’t solve the many problems affecting services and patients. The new health secretary has certainly got her work cut out.

“Improving wages across the NHS is a must, so trusts no longer struggle to hold on to experienced staff or to fill vacant posts.

“That means delivering on the commitments already agreed with unions in this year’s pay deal. And getting talks on earnings and staffing in the secretaryof state’s diary at the earliest opportunity.

“Perhaps the biggest challenge though is to start what all her predecessors have failed to do and fix the crisis in social care. Once that begins to be tackled, the pressures on the NHS and its staff will start to lift.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Improving wages and fixing social care must be among new health secretary’s priorities first appeared on the UNISON National site.

All employers in the NHS must play by the same rules

Commenting on the announcement today (Monday) that staff at some non-NHS organisations will benefit from government funding for the cost of their one-off payments as part of the NHS pay award, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:

“This will ensure a small number of providers aren’t out of pocket for awarding staff what they’re legally owed, but this should have happened months ago.

“Sadly this won’t stop thousands of contractors and ‘bank’ providers from ignoring calls to do the right thing by paying the lump sum to outsourced and temporary staff in the NHS. Many of these workers are on low wages and insecure contracts.

“Ministers must end the two-tier employment scandal in the NHS and ensure all employers in the service play by the same rules.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
– UNISON has been running Us2, a campaign to ensure people working for private contractors in the NHS get the same pay as their colleagues who are directly employed. As a result, UNISON has lodged claims across the country.

Media contacts:
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article All employers in the NHS must play by the same rules first appeared on the UNISON National site.

All employers in the NHS must play by the same pay rules

Commenting on the announcement today (Monday) that the government is to provide funding so employees of some non-NHS organisations can receive the same one-off payment for last year as directly employed staff, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:

“This will ensure a small number of providers aren’t out of pocket for awarding staff what they’re legally owed, but this should have happened months ago.

“Sadly this won’t stop thousands of contractors and ‘bank’ providers from ignoring calls to do the right thing by paying the lump sum to outsourced and temporary staff in the NHS. Many of these workers are on low wages and insecure contracts.

“Ministers must end the two-tier employment scandal in the NHS and ensure all employers in the service play by the same rules.”

Notes to editors:
– Earlier in the year, UNISON launched Us2. It’s a campaign to ensure people working for private contractors in the NHS get the same pay as their directly employed colleagues in England.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors. 

Media contact:
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk

The article All employers in the NHS must play by the same pay rules first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Government should commit to NHS pay talks now to avoid possible strikes next year

The government must commit to holding direct pay talks with unions and employers for the wage increase health workers are due next year if it is serious about improving the NHS pay-setting process, says UNISON today (Wednesday). 

UNISON says the best 75th birthday present the health secretary could give the NHS would be to agree to start pay negotiations in the autumn, well in advance of next April’s wage boost for NHS staff. 

That would be the most sensible approach for ministers to take, says UNISON. It would build on the recent Agenda for Change wage settlement, show NHS employees the government is committed to solving the staffing emergency and potentially avoid more industrial unrest, adds the union.  

As part of the NHS pay deal agreed in May, the health secretary promised to look again at the way health worker wages are set. 

UNISON says it wouldn’t be right for Steve Barclay to renew the NHS pay review body’s remit for the coming pay year (2024/25) while the process itself is being critiqued. 

It makes no sense for the NHS pay review body to spend months producing more observations and recommendations when there’s still much for the government, employers, and unions to do regarding the additional commitments set out in the recent wage deal, says UNISON.

Several health unions have already said they will no longer submit evidence to the NHS pay review body in its current format. Any government attempt to kickstart that same process would immediately increase industrial tension, UNISON warns. 

In the union’s submission to the government consultation reviewing the pay-setting process, which closed yesterday, UNISON says the NHS pay review body is an outdated mechanism that no longer works. 

Health workers have lost confidence in the current system for setting wages, says UNISON. Under the pay review body, NHS staff have faced waits of many months to get the annual increase they should receive in early spring.

Health workers also blame the current process for failing to challenge the damage to NHS staffing caused by years of pay freezes and below-inflation rises under austerity, says UNISON. 

Although ministers claim the NHS pay review body is independent, UNISON’s submission says it is anything but. The government not only appoints all the body’s members, but it also sets the remit in which it can operate and decides how and when its recommendations are published. 

Scotland walked away from the NHS pay review body process a few years ago, and the resulting impact on pay north of the border is plain for all to see, says UNISON.  

Direct talks with the Holyrood government have reaped dividends for health workers. Nurses, occupational therapists, midwives and other staff at the top of band 5 now earn £3,000 a year more than their English colleagues, adds the union. 

Nor does the process work well for other pay-related issues like high-cost area supplements, addressing pay gaps or picking up on known increases to the national minimum wage, says UNISON. 

UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “The pay review body process is long past its use-by date. Ministers initially refused to engage in pay negotiations with unions and employers last year, insisting the review body was the only way. That led to months of industrial unrest that benefitted no one. 

“Put simply, the pay review body process takes too long, and isn’t nimble enough to keep up with rapidly changing economic circumstances. It leads to health workers in England missing out. And as pay is so key to solving the NHS staffing emergency, it means patients lose out too. 

“The process may have worked for a while, but it doesn’t anymore. It’s time to call a halt to this costly, wasteful, and time-consuming exercise. 

“Ministers were happy to take credit for the deal that ended the dispute. They now must be prepared to get back round the table to discuss how well it has held up against inflation, which is not currently showing much sign of falling. 

“The review body was meant to take the politics out of pay and avoid strikes. It’s failed on both counts. Direct talks involving unions, ministers and employers are the only way forward.” 

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors. 

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk

The article Government should commit to NHS pay talks now to avoid possible strikes next year first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Government should commit to NHS pay talks now to avoid possible strikes next year

The government must commit to holding direct pay talks with unions and employers for the wage increase health workers are due next year if it is serious about improving the NHS pay-setting process, says UNISON today (Wednesday). 

UNISON says the best 75th birthday present the health secretary could give the NHS would be to agree to start pay negotiations in the autumn, well in advance of next April’s wage boost for NHS staff. 

That would be the most sensible approach for ministers to take, says UNISON. It would build on the recent Agenda for Change wage settlement, show NHS employees the government is committed to solving the staffing emergency and potentially avoid more industrial unrest, adds the union.  

As part of the NHS pay deal agreed in May, the health secretary promised to look again at the way health worker wages are set. 

UNISON says it wouldn’t be right for Steve Barclay to renew the NHS pay review body’s remit for the coming pay year (2024/25) while the process itself is being critiqued. 

It makes no sense for the NHS pay review body to spend months producing more observations and recommendations when there’s still much for the government, employers, and unions to do regarding the additional commitments set out in the recent wage deal, says UNISON.

Several health unions have already said they will no longer submit evidence to the NHS pay review body in its current format. Any government attempt to kickstart that same process would immediately increase industrial tension, UNISON warns. 

In the union’s submission to the government consultation reviewing the pay-setting process, which closed yesterday, UNISON says the NHS pay review body is an outdated mechanism that no longer works. 

Health workers have lost confidence in the current system for setting wages, says UNISON. Under the pay review body, NHS staff have faced waits of many months to get the annual increase they should receive in early spring.

Health workers also blame the current process for failing to challenge the damage to NHS staffing caused by years of pay freezes and below-inflation rises under austerity, says UNISON. 

Although ministers claim the NHS pay review body is independent, UNISON’s submission says it is anything but. The government not only appoints all the body’s members, but it also sets the remit in which it can operate and decides how and when its recommendations are published. 

Scotland walked away from the NHS pay review body process a few years ago, and the resulting impact on pay north of the border is plain for all to see, says UNISON.  

Direct talks with the Holyrood government have reaped dividends for health workers. Nurses, occupational therapists, midwives and other staff at the top of band 5 now earn £3,000 a year more than their English colleagues, adds the union. 

Nor does the process work well for other pay-related issues like high-cost area supplements, addressing pay gaps or picking up on known increases to the national minimum wage, says UNISON. 

UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “The pay review body process is long past its use-by date. Ministers initially refused to engage in pay negotiations with unions and employers last year, insisting the review body was the only way. That led to months of industrial unrest that benefitted no one. 

“Put simply, the pay review body process takes too long, and isn’t nimble enough to keep up with rapidly changing economic circumstances. It leads to health workers in England missing out. And as pay is so key to solving the NHS staffing emergency, it means patients lose out too. 

“The process may have worked for a while, but it doesn’t anymore. It’s time to call a halt to this costly, wasteful, and time-consuming exercise. 

“Ministers were happy to take credit for the deal that ended the dispute. They now must be prepared to get back round the table to discuss how well it has held up against inflation, which is not currently showing much sign of falling. 

“The review body was meant to take the politics out of pay and avoid strikes. It’s failed on both counts. Direct talks involving unions, ministers and employers are the only way forward.” 

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors. 

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk

The article Government should commit to NHS pay talks now to avoid possible strikes next year first appeared on the UNISON National site.