Commenting on the 2022/23 and 2023/24 pay offer to NHS staff in England, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:
“It’s a shame it took so long to get here. Health workers had to take many days of strike action, and thousands more had to threaten to join them, to get their unions into the room and proper talks underway.
“But following days of intensive talks between the government, unions and employers, there’s now an offer on the table for NHS staff.
“If accepted, the offer would boost pay significantly this year and mean a wage increase next year that’s more than the government had budgeted for.
“This is better than having to wait many more months for the NHS pay review body to make its recommendation.
“UNISON will now be putting this offer to the hundreds of thousands of health members in the union in the next few weeks, recommending acceptance.
“In the coming days, health workers will have the chance to look at the full detail of what’s on offer and decide whether that’s enough to end the dispute. While that process takes place any planned industrial action will be paused.”
Notes to editors:
-Sara Gorton has been the lead negotiator for the unions in the talks with the government and the NHS staff council.
-The offer to NHS staff in England is as follows:
An additional one-off lump sum for 2022/23 that rises in value up the NHS pay bands. This is worth £1,655 for staff at the bottom of band 2 (for example porters, cleaners and healthcare assistants), £2,009 for staff at the top of band 5 (nurses, midwives, physiotherapists), £2,162 at the top of band 6 (paramedics, health visitors, senior occupational therapists) and £3,789 for staff at the top of band 9.
A permanent 5% pay rise on all pay points for 2023/24.
An increase to band 2 that makes the lowest pay point in the NHS £11.45 an hour – 55p higher than the real living wage.
-The next strike involving health workers belonging to UNISON was due to take place on Monday (20 March). This has now been paused.
-It is expected that the package will have consequences for devolved funding. The implications for disputes in Wales and Northern Ireland will be considered by unions and devolved governments in the coming days.
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 UNISON to recommend acceptance of NHS pay offer first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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