- Conference
- 2024 National Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 7 December 2023
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that Health workers in Northern Ireland have not received the AFC 2023 award secured in England. Health workers in NI are the lowest paid across the UK again! The absence of devolved government has resulted at the end of 2023 in the collective punishment of public sector workers by withholding funding for pay.
Conference notes and applauds the thousands of UNISON health who have mobilised and taken industrial action to restore pay injustice.
Conference notes and condemns the failure of the UK government to honour its commitment that funding would be released via the Barnett formula to include Northern Ireland health workers in a pay award.
Conference notes and is appalled that this funding is being withheld. This is the second time that our health members in Northern Ireland have been so shabbily treated and a pay parity link has been broken.
Conference calls on the Health Service Group to ensure that this scenario will not be repeated in the 2024 pay round. In the event of direct engagement with the UK government outside of the PRB framework we ask the HSGE to ensure that no pay agreement is concluded without formal inclusion of consequential funding. This will be essential to maintain a minimum of pay parity for health workers in Northern Ireland.