{"id":919,"date":"2014-08-26T11:48:44","date_gmt":"2014-08-26T10:48:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=919"},"modified":"2014-08-26T14:46:15","modified_gmt":"2014-08-26T13:46:15","slug":"10-reasons-nhs-workers-deserve-fair-pay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=919","title":{"rendered":"10 Reasons why NHS workers deserve fair pay"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

They work hard taking care of us, delivering the vital services that we rely on to keep us healthy and safe, but who’s taking care of them? It’s not this government!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. Our NHS is amazing, thanks to the 1.3 million people who work in it!<\/strong>
\n\"giphyAnchorman\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Today alone, dedicated NHS staff will care for some the 175,000 suffering a heart attack this year and 80,000 patients undergoing cancer treatment this year. Not to mention the 700,000 babies that are born, 10 million operations performed and 21.3 million Accident and Emergency admissions that are dealt with each year by these guardian angels.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. NHS workers have been squeezed long enough<\/strong>
\n\"giphysherlock\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Since 2010, NHS workers have been hammered with three years of pay freezes, a hike in pension contributions and cuts to on call and out of hours payments, losing nearly 15 per cent of their wages in real terms over the last four years.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3. Shrinking wages and rising costs have left many NHS workers struggling to get by month to month\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6.<\/strong>
\n\"giphyOlivertwist\"<\/a><\/p>\n

One third of NHS workers already earn less than \u00c2\u014121,000 a year but with wages shrinking by as much as 15% in real terms over the last four years and the cost of living soaring to a high of 5.6% (RPI), heating and eating for all NHS staff has become much much harder.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4. In April the government came back for more…<\/strong>
\n\"giphyscared\"<\/a><\/p>\n

60 per cent of NHS workers will get no cost of living pay increase this year year, it announced, not even the measly 1 per cent recommended by the independent Pay Review Body (PRB). Nada, nil, zilch! Only those at the very top of their pay bands will receive 1% non-consolidated, which is more like a one-off bonus than a proper pay rise.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

5. It’s not fair!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"giphyscrubs<\/a><\/p>\n

Denying 615,000 NHS workers a cost of living increase for four out of the last five years when top NHS chiefs have seen their pay rise by 6.1% on average is inexplicable. 428 of the most senior NHS managers earn more than \u00c2\u0141250,000. If they’re worth it, so is everyone!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

6. 1% for the lowest paid is pennies, literally<\/strong>
\n