NHS 'summer of discontent' looms over pay

London's Evening Standard reports today that a 'summer of discontent' over NHS pay is looming, after the largest health service union voted to hold a ballot on industrial action.

The Royal College of Nursing and GMB voted to hold a ballot last week, and yesterday the Royal College of Radiographers also agreed to take action.

Unison's decision, and intention to co-ordinate with these other unions, raises the prospect of the largest NHS protest for more than 20 years.

The unions are angry about the government's latest pay offer for nurses and support staff. Ministers have rejected an independent pay review body's recommendation of a 2.5% rise to be paid in full from this month.

Instead the government have staged the award over the year, leading to a rise equivalent to only 1.9% over the year.

Delegates at Unison's annual health conference in Brighton yesterday voted unanimously to ballot its 450,000 members, who include nurses, ambulance workers, porters and cleaners,

The union leadership demanded an emergency meeting with chancellor Gordon Brown and said the ballot would be go ahead if the government did not increase the pay offer so that it is above the rate of inflation.

Nurse Sandra Dee said: "We need to pay for our housing and feed and clothe our children, and we will not accept our pay being eroded. Let's stand up and fight."

Janet Maiden, a nurse from University College Hospital in London, said: "There are over one million health workers and we could all take action together and show Tony Blair's replacement that we will not tolerate putting up with this any longer.

"Let us give this government a summer of discontent and have a serious fight over pay this year."

The Society of Radiographers, also meeting in Brighton, voted to reject the pay offer and would 'consider further action' if the government did not back down.

Warren Town, the society's director of industrial relatons, said: "A stand must be taken against the government's move to underpay the people that they claim are absolutely key to delivering the NHS targets that they have set.

"Morale in the NHS was bad before but this penny-pinching has sent it to rock bottom."