Today’s the day

Today is the day that people can finally decide what they want to do over NHS pay.

Today thousands of health workers across the UK will vote whether to take industrial action over pay. It is estimated that 1.3m workers in the NHS have seen their pay fall by up to 15 per cent. An estimated 50 per cent of the NHS workforce is having to rely on their annual incremental increase, which is not necessarily guaranteed.

“Today is so important for all NHS workers as they have lost out big time on pay since 2010 with a pay freeze while the cost of living has soared,” said Unite national officer, Barrie Brown.

“Jeremey Hunt is the first secretary of state ever to reject the independent pay review body’s (PBS) recommendation. The PBS was originally set up by Margaret Thatcher to take politics out of NHS pay and make it independent yet the Tories are now choosing to ignore it, while in Scotland all recommendations have been carried out and more.

“NHS staff have been treated outrageously and suffered significant income loss. What is worse is that this will continue if the Tories are re-elected in 2015. David Cameron is also talking about setting thresholds for industrial ballots.”

The position is different in each of the UK’s four countries with Wales having agreed to a ‘living wage’ for all staff and an imposed one-off payment of £160, in Northern Island there has been no decision made on pay and Scotland has agreed to pay the one percent pay rise to all staff as recommended by the independent pay review body (PRB) and to implement the ‘living wage’ by paying an extra £300 to low paid workers.

Unite and Unison members are being balloted this week with GMB member’s receiving their ballot forms next week. All results will be in by the end of September and industrial action would commence Monday October 13.

“Unite will now be working to maximise turnout to vote and demonstrate strength in our mandate,” added Barrie.

“Never has there been such strength of feeling in the NHS. Other than the one day of action across the public sector in 2011 over pensions and industrial action in the late 80s in the ambulance service this is the worst things have ever been in the NHS since the winter of discontent.

“We are confident of a positive result from our members. But we also wish to reassure the public that any industrial action will be carefully calibrated to balance the anger that our members feel about their shrinking pay packets, with abiding concern for patient care which is key for the health professionals we represent.”