HEALTH SERVICE PAY UPDATE

UNISON Northern Ireland is soon to launch a consultation with our members in the HSC. Following a report back from recent meetings with the Health Minister and Department of Health Workforce Directorate officials, our health committee has decided to inform and consult members.

Without an opportunity for collective bargaining denied by the Westminster Government on Agenda for Change Pay for NHS staff, all health unions were left with a recommendation from the Pay Review Body of 3%. This falls short of the UNISON claim of ONE Team 2k.

No funding was released to support the payment of this recommendation.

All parts of the NHS have had to find this money from within their own resources.

Our 2019 pay dispute re-established pay parity with England and our Health Minister is shortly to announce payment of this 3%. Health unions have pushed for an enhancement but have been told that any consideration of additional money would have to wait until the January Monitoring round and is not guaranteed to be anything substantial.

UNISONs Head of Bargaining Anne Speed clearly put on the record that that 3% does not meet our claim for year 2020/2021 and that members would reject that they should be satisfied with this outcome.

Our consultation will not only seek to confirm our members views but will also seek to strengthen our mandate into the New Year to challenge - using legal industrial action - not only on pay but also on safe staffing and the crippling overspend on the use of agencies to plug holes in the health staff workforce.

Dates of the consultation period to be announced shortly.