Unison set to ballot health workers over 2.5% pay award

5 Apr 07
Health unions were gearing up for industrial action over pay this week as conflicting reports emerged about staff morale.

06 April 2007

Health unions were gearing up for industrial action over pay this week as conflicting reports emerged about staff morale.

While the British Medical Association was exploring the options open to GPs, the largest health union, Unison, said this year's pay award left it with no choice but to move towards industrial action.

Unison's head of health, Karen Jennings, said the 2.5% award was a pay cut and had left staff disappointed, frustrated and angry.

She added: 'The staging of the award by the government is the final straw. Health workers have been through a tough year with deficits and redundancies. They are outraged that the government has interfered with the independence of the pay review body and have elected not to honour the recommendation in full.'

A ballot on strike action could take place by the beginning of May, she said.

The Royal College of Nursing warned of a 'dark mood' among its 400,000 members. General secretary Peter Carter said: 'A worrying number of nurses are telling us this pay award is the final straw and are talking about leaving the health service for good.

It is not too late for the government to put this right. It can salvage some goodwill by abiding by the recommendation of the independent pay review body and giving nurses their pay award in full.'

Despite the warnings, the Healthcare Commission's annual NHS staff survey, which heard the views of more than 128,000 workers across 326 trusts, found health workers' outlook had improved. Staff said they were less stressed, suffered fewer work-related injuries and saw fewer potentially harmful errors.

However, the commission was concerned about 'unacceptably high' levels of abuse experienced by staff.

Unison said the survey had been conducted in October, well before the pay announcement, and pointed out that it showed most staff worked unpaid overtime.

'It's time to say “enough is enough”. NHS workers are seeing their pay packets and personal safety gradually deteriorate,' Jennings said.

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