Health unions’ pensions campaign group to examine industrial action

26 Aug 11
Health trade unions have set up a new campaign group that will prepare for possible strike action in the NHS over the government’s planned changes to public sector pensions.

By Richard Johnstone | 26 August 2011

Health trade unions have set up a new campaign group that will prepare for possible strike action in the NHS over the government’s planned changes to public sector pensions.

The Pensions Campaign Group has been established following a summit involving 12 trade unions and the Trades Union Congress yesterday.

In a statement issued after the talks, the group said it would examine and represent the unions in all issues relating to the pensions negotiations, including possible industrial action.

The move follows the start of a consultation by the Department of Health on contribution increases to its pension plan, as required of all public sector schemes, equivalent to an average increase of 3.2 percentage points in employee contributions by 2014/15.

The consultation, launched by the DoH last month, proposes that health employees earning less than £15,000 will not contribute anything extra, while those earning up to £21,000 will pay up to 1.5% more by 2014/15, and those earning above that will pay as much as 6% extra.

A statement by the unions, which include the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives, said that ‘unions remain committed to pension negotiations and expect the government to reciprocate and not set out unrealistic timetables or ultimatums’.

It added: ‘One of the clear aims of the campaign group is to ensure that patient safety remains paramount. The group will look at all issues relating to the pensions negotiations, including the possibility of industrial action in the event that the talks fail to make progress.’

Responding to the creation of the new campaign group, the Royal College of Nursing said it and the other unions disagree with the government that there is any need for contribution increases outside those within the current ‘cap and share’ mechanism for dealing with rising pension costs. They are also opposed to the further reforms proposed by government following the Hutton review of public sector pensions, which include a planned increase to the retirement age and a move to a career average defined benefit from the current final salary schemes.

Josie Irwin, head of employment relations at the RCN, said it was ‘sensible’ to think about what would happen if negotiations broke down, potentially leading to industrial action.

‘That might mean one or all of the unions balloting for action and in that instance, from the RCN’s perspective, patient care is of the utmost importance. We need to think through these issues just in case.’

The full list of unions setting up the new campaign group is: the TUC, Unison, RCN, RCM, BMA, British and Irish Orthotics Society, Managers in Partnership, British Association of Occupational Therapists, Federation of Clinical Scientists, Unite, GMB, Chartered Society of Physiotherapists and the Chartered Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists.

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