NHS staff on the Isle of Wight have until Friday to have their say on the future of their pay in a consultation being run by the UK’s largest trade union, UNISON.
The Island’s NHS staff are part of 300,000 UNISON members – including nurses, paramedics, porters, cleaners, administrators, operating department practitioners, caterers – who are being asked for their views via an online ballot (accessed via www.nhspay.org) running until 10th September.
The ballot of eligible UNISON members across England opened in July. NHS workers a variety of settings, including St Mary’s Hospital, have been asked whether they wish to accept or reject the government’s intended 3% pay rise. If they oppose the offer, this could lead to a formal ballot over industrial action.
UNISON has called for an across-the-board £2,000 pay increase for all NHS staff. The government’s 3% increase means the lowest earners will get a rise which is just 1/6th of those at the top of the NHS pay scales. The only staff who do get a £2,000 rise with this award are those already earning more than £70,000 annually, says UNISON.
UNISON Isle of Wight Health branch officer Steve Trasler said:
“The government’s award of 3% to NHS staff is insulting to low paid NHS workers who have worked tirelessly and made so many sacrifices during the pandemic.
“NHS staff have until September 10 to have their say on pay. I encourage every member not to waste this chance to fight for the decent pay rise that we all deserve.”
UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:
“All health staff deserve equal recognition for their contribution to the NHS and their efforts during the pandemic. But the pay review body’s 3% recommendation means thousands still won’t be on the real living wage.
“Missing the living wage target by 1.5p per hour shows the government ignored the lowest paid, for all the Prime Minister’s talk of levelling up.
“It’s vital staff give their views. Ministers won’t wait to hear what health workers think before they begin paying the new rates.
“With this pay review process, it isn’t enough just to register disapproval. If staff want to challenge this outcome, they need to take part in this consultation and show there’s widespread support for industrial action.”
The NHS is in financial crisis which everyone is going to pay extra for. Bad timing
Back in the 1980’s they were banging on about the NHS in crisis – and here we are forty years later and they are still banging the same drum, no matter how much cash they are given
The real issue is the atrocious way in which they allocate their capital. They are supposed to be an organisation designed to heal the wounded and sick, not cater to every hand wringing do gooders desire to have every cosmetic wish fulfilled for free.
Instead of having a core focus on sick and wounded, we have all sorts of pointless excuses turning up at surgeries, hospitals and consultancies being pandered to, which ensures that sick and wounded wait longer.
Stop treating the NHS like a religious cult .most of us have not had pay rises for years .why do they think they are so special .
they are not heroes some of them are complete waste of space they are paid to do a job like other people but unlike other people who do not get money of here & there and told you work so hard if they work so hard why are so many overweight
if it wasn’t for the electricity company workers, the internet providers, the gas company, the sewage works, the water company, the financial services, the factories, construction industry and many other non NHS organisations, the NHS wouldn’t even exist, as the leccy, the gas, the water, the internet etc would have all shut down by now…. so why are the NHS being seen as heroes, yet those who facilitate the platform these demi gods stand on, are ignored and looked down at.