NHS Pay

(06/07/07) After long months of tough negotiation a new pay offer in the form of a package with improvements for the different groups of health workers has been made. A postal ballot will run between 20 August and 13 September.The offer includes a lump sum payment for the lowest paid NHS staff, training budgets for non- clinical staff, recognition payments amounting to the recent increase in NMC registration fees for those NHS staff required to register, agreement to enter in to talks on improvements to the Agenda for Change pay structure and terms and conditions.Franco Buonaguro, Regional Head of Health said 'This is a new pay offer which is a complex one and will mean different things to different NHS staff UNISON feels this is the best offer it is likely to achieve through negotiation and urges members to indicate whether they wish to accept the new offer or not, by taking part in the ballot process'He went on to stress 'however, if members do wish to reject the new pay offer they must also be prepared to consider future industrial action'

UNISON members who do not receive a ballot paper by 28 August are advised to apply for a replacement by telephoning 0845 355 0845 or visiting www.unison.org.uk. 

The last date to apply for a replacement ballot will be 10 September 2007.   This is also the cut off date for new members joining UNISON to take part in the ballot.

If you wish to join UNISON and have your say download a UNISON joiners form http://www.unison.org.uk/westmidlands/pages_view.asp?did=3285

Full NHS Pay Offer www.unison.org.uk/healthcare/a4c/pages_view.asp?did=5563

NHS employers news for stakeholders also details the new pay offer http://www.nhsemployers.org/aboutus/aboutus-2147.cfm

 

Background

The Regional Health Committee and UNISON National Delegates Conference (Brighton 19-22 June) have both recently echoed these sentiments and unanimously agreed to join forces with other health trades unions to make a stance against a derisory pay offer of 2.5 % NHS pay offer, staging the pay offer means only 1.9% in real terms for 2007!

UNISON is preparing for an industrial action ballot during September, therefore West Midlands branches are asked start taking about the ballot and encouraging workers to be a position to be able to have their say on pay if these talks prove unfruitful.   

Encourage your colleagues to join UNISON, the largest trades union in the health service, to get a voice on pay.  A joiners form and information on membership services and benefits is available at http://www.unison.org.uk/join/index.asp

Existing UNISON members in need of updating their membership details can do so by telephoning 0845 355 0845.

Please circulate as widely as possible UNISON's 'Fair Pay for Health Workers' A5 leaflet.  Order from UNISON publicity catalogue stock number 2575 go to http://www.unison.org.uk/catalogue/ 

The Regional Health Committee have agreed to support the UNISON national NHS rally on 13 October and ensure the regions voice is heard on pay as well as demonstrating against the adverse effects continued deficits in the NHS and PFI are having on some Trusts within the boundary of the West Midlands.

UNISON has been holding meetings with RCN who have agreed to coincide ballots for maximise impact over the derisory staged 2.5%  

Further background

West Midlands activists at the UNISON Health Conference were part of the unanimous call for 'FAIR PAY!'.  Members displayed wide spread disappointment saying NHS workers in the West Midlands and across the Country were upset and angry over the derisory staged 2.5% pay offer.

The Pay Negotiating Council (PNC, which covers 300,000 non-clinical NHS staff) followed suit making an identical offer to the Pay Review Body (PRB, which covers 800,000 clinical NHS staff excluding doctors and dentists)  Both NHS pay offers are staged meaning in real terms a pay offer of just 1.9% for 2007.  The Trade union side of the PNC unanimously rejected the employers' offer on 27 April, and called for serious negotiations and an improved offer.  They stated that unless an improved offer was made with in a 'reasonable time', then all unions would consider balloting for industrial action.

The PRB and PNC pay offers are below both of the price index measures,  Information Retail Price Index (RPI) currently stands at 4.8% and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) at 3.1%. 

UNISON is seeking a pay award that is not staged and is 'significantly' above inflation pay rise weighted towards those in the lower bands.

If an improved offer within a reasonable period is not made and back dated to        1 1st April 2007, the Health Service Group Executive are empowered to ballot UNISON members recommending a vote for industrial strike action. 

Fuller Health Conference Report on Pay at http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=3219

Previously commenting on the Pay offer:

Karen Jennings, UNISON head of health, said 'we are left with little choice but to start gearing up for action.  The mood of our members is one of deep disappointment, frustration and anger.  The 2.5% award by the Pay Review Body is effectively a pay cut.  It falls very short of the rising cost of living, put at 4.6% by the Retail Price Index.

A round up of West Midlands branches upheld the view that NHS staff had had a very tough year of deficits, reorganisations and that this derisory pay award was yet another major let down.   Health committee representatives felt the final blow for many will be the decision to stage the pay award, which in real terms means only a 1.91% offer for this year.

The next meeting of the Pay Negotiating Council will be held on the 27 April 2007.

Speaking at the Defend the NHS TUC rally in Birmingham on 3 March Dave Prentis UNISON Regional Secretary described said ' Patricia Hewitt has said the NHS has just gone through its best year ever, an increase of 1.9%, rubbish! Our health workers need to be treated with dignity and respect'.

Previously on the subject Karen Jennings, UNISON head of Health and Chair of the staff side NHS Executive of Staff Council has commented "It's clear from patient surveys that the public are overwhelmingly supportive and grateful for the care they receive from NHS staff.  Investing in staff is investing in the future of the NHS and our claim is fair and reasonable".  

Remind your self of some of the increases to cost of living recently....the Retail Price Index (RPI) has averaged 3.4%, house prices and rent costs have risen averaging just over 3% (04/05), the mortgage interest rate increased to 4.75%.  We are all paying as much as 50% to 75% more for household energy as prices rose for the second year running.   Our council tax bills are averaging just under £1,000 and our petrol costs, although not at its all time high of over a £1 a litre has not dipped as fast as it could...

How then will 1.91% more pay cover the above cost of living increases?  The answer is simple it won't.   Should the increase given by one hand be smaller than the amounts taken out by the other hands, it seems reasonable to say NHS workers will have to dip into their pockets to meet the shortfall, in other words, they will be justified in realising they will be worse off. 

The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2005 showed nurses are already the poor relations of other public sector workers.  Nurses average £169 per week less than a secondary teacher and £223.50 less than a police officer.

Scotland agrees to implements Full 2.5% pay award

After Congratulating Andy Kerr, Scottish Minister of Health for his decision to implement the full 2.% Pay Review body award without staging, Karen Jennings UNISON Head of Head said, " Nurses and health professionals must have fair and equal treatment across the UK' and 'It is untenable to leave nurses in England and Wales out in the cold!' she called for Westminster to follow Scotland's lead. 

Comments from Dave Prentis on fair pay can be found in the following article http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/10001

Further news on the Scandal of NHS Pay on at http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=2915

Joint Unions evidence to Pay Review Body http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/B2820.pdf

Health branches will receive regular updates from UNISON on NHS Pay throughout the course of negotiations and consultation. If you need further assistance please contact your Branch Office or Regional Organiser.

More on health at www.unison.org.uk/healthcare

'Time for a national debate about top pay'  the TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber reveals that for every £100 earned by a top company director in 2000, they now earn £205, while ordinary employees have only seen an average of £6 increase in every £100 they earned six years ago.  Brendan says 'If City bonuses had been shared among everyone at work in the UK, we could have all enjoyed a Christmas bonus of more than £350'.  www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-12807-f0.cfm