The NHS pay consultation for members in England gets under way this week. All relevant members should receive a ballot paper by next week.
Members will be sent a ballot paper along with a letter from head of health Christina McAnea and a prepaid return envelope. Ballots need to be returned by 10am on Monday 2 March.
Ballot papers will include the wording of UNISON’s official policy on the proposals from government:
“The health service group executive recommends this as the best we have been able to achieve through negotiation.
“The HSGE believes that your action has made some improvements but has not delivered what we wanted. If you reject this offer, then further industrial action will take place on Friday 13 March.”
Members will be asked if they:
- wish to ACCEPT the pay proposals for 2015/16
- wish to REJECT the pay proposals for 2015/16 and are prepared to take industrial action including strike action starting on 13 March.
This is a tight timetable for consultation. But it is the only timetable to allow us to take strike action on the agreed date of 13 March if the offer is rejected.
The service group executive expressed a strong preference for members to vote on the proposal.
UNISON would normally consult members through workplace meetings or ask branches to run ballots for their members.
But in this case, rather than have branches organise their own printing and mailings to members, the service group executive has asked that this is co-ordinated centrally.
Health branches in England should work with regions to run workplace meetings and/or information stalls to inform members about the offer and to make sure they are aware of the postal ballot.
A workplace presentation with speaker notes will be available from your region and via email or download from the website, where you will also find an FAQ document on the offer. Other resources will be added over the next few days.