Midwives are to consider industrial action for the first time in their history over a pay offer in the latest sign of unrest among NHS staff - reports the BBC.
Midwives in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been offered a 1.5% pay rise followed by an extra 1% later.
The government says this is affordable, but midwives want 2.5% immediately - as is happening in Scotland.
Union leaders have been asked by midwives to consider industrial action as nurses ponder a similar move.
Last week, the Royal College of Nursing announced it would be balloting members to see if they wanted to be balloted on industrial action.
Nurses are also angry about the pay offer and if they did decide to take action it would also be a first for them.
Delegates at the Royal College of Midwives conference asked the union's governing council to consider balloting the 37,000 members over industrial action.
The college said the average midwife on £26,700 a year was facing a cut of nearly £700 in real terms as the retail price index shows inflation is running at 4.5%.
RCM general secretary Dame Karlene Davis said: "This overwhelming vote shows the strength of feeling about this issue."
Showing posts with label NHS pay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NHS pay. Show all posts
Friday, 25 May 2007
Friday, 4 May 2007
Ealing: Teachers & health workers protest at pay offer
Public sector workers staged a protest on the steps of Ealing Town Hall on Tuesday to show opposition to the government's 2% pay rise offer - reports the Ealing Gazette.
Organised by public sector union Unison and supported by Ealing teachers and health workers, the protest argued that with inflation running at 4.8% the government deal is effectively a pay cut.
Adam Smith, an officer for the Ealing branch of Unison, warned that the protest was a "first step" and could lead to widespread strike action and disruption of services.
Are Ealing's MPs going to tolerate such a situation - do they agree health and education workers should get a pay cut? Are they going to vote billions of pounds extra away to the audit-failing EU that could actually be used to pay teachers and others in line with inflation?
Organised by public sector union Unison and supported by Ealing teachers and health workers, the protest argued that with inflation running at 4.8% the government deal is effectively a pay cut.
Adam Smith, an officer for the Ealing branch of Unison, warned that the protest was a "first step" and could lead to widespread strike action and disruption of services.
Are Ealing's MPs going to tolerate such a situation - do they agree health and education workers should get a pay cut? Are they going to vote billions of pounds extra away to the audit-failing EU that could actually be used to pay teachers and others in line with inflation?
Tuesday, 24 April 2007
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."
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."
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