On Tuesday, a pay increase agreement was accepted by trade unions representing the majority of workers involved in a prolonged disagreement, resulting in over one million National Health Service employees in England receiving a salary boost.
This pay deal must be the start of something new in the NHS. There cannot be a repeat of the past few months.
Sara Gorton
The National Health Service has been embroiled in a dispute over demands for pay deals that more accurately reflect an inflation rate exceeding 10%. This has resulted in hundreds of thousands of staff members engaging in strike action in recent months, further exacerbating the healthcare system’s strains.
Sara Gorton, the Head of Health at UNISON, expressed that the pay increase should be implemented as soon as possible, and hopes that this pay deal will mark a new beginning for the NHS, preventing a repeat of the past few months.
Although the NHS Confederation, which represents organizations across the healthcare sector, welcomed the vote, health leaders remain concerned about the possibility of additional industrial action.
Unite has stated that its members would continue their strike action despite the vote, and tens of thousands of junior doctors remain in a separate dispute with the government regarding their salaries.
In a letter addressed to Barclay, the RCN confirmed its plans to hold a ballot later this month, seeking approval from its members for new strike action to take place between June and December.