Members working in the NHS in England will strike for fair pay on Monday 13 October for four hours from 7am to 11am.
This will be followed by four days of action short of a strike, on Tuesday 14 October to Friday 17 October. This action will focus on making sure members take their breaks.
The industrial action ballot, which closed on 18 September saw 68% of those taking part vote for strike action and 88% for action short of a strike.
The health service group executive considered the ballot result on Friday 19 September and recommended the industrial action on 13 October with action short of a strike for the rest of week, which leads up the the TUC and STUC demonstrations in London and Glasgow on 18 October.
UNISON wants the NHS to be properly funded so that it can have enough staff who are well motivated and fairly paid. Our campaign is for:
immediate payment of the 1% consolidated sum to everyone, as recommended by the NHS Pay Review Body;
- the living wage of £7.65 an hour for low paid staff;
- an above inflation pay rise for 2015-16;
- a commitment to future pay rises that will restore the value of NHS pay.
“We know health workers don’t take strike action lightly or often,” says UNISON head of health Christina McAnea. “The last action over pay was 32 years ago.
“But we also know a demoralised and demotivated workforce isn’t good for patients.”
In addition to the four hour strike on Monday 13 October, members in the Ambulance Service will be called to work no overtime during the period 14-17 October.
The union is calling on all health branches in England to start mobilising for successful action now.
Get members to update their details on the UNISON membership system.
Let us know what they are planning by emailing ourNHS@unison.co.uk
Order materials to help build for successful action now via our online catalogue. These include
- Five days for fair pay, industrial action leaflet – stock number 3463;
- Five days for fair pay, industrial action leaflet for ambulance staff – stock number 3467;
- Poster – stock number 3462;
- Stickers – stock number 3440;
- Placards – stock number 3406.
Order now using the online catalogue (if an “out of stock” message appears, this is a computer error – please carry on with your order)
Other health unions in England are currently balloting their members on the same issue and we are expecting their results in the next two weeks. UNISON members in Wales will ballot in a separate dispute between 30 September and 20 October
But we need to start mobilising members for successful action now.
