Following engagement between UNISON, other health unions and the Health Minister on the lack of funding to implement the Pay Review Body award of 5.5% on AfC pay bands for 2024/25, we secured commitments in December that pay parity would be maintained, with the pay award being applied in 2 stages.
Health Trade Unions have received formal commitment from the Minister and in a Department of Health memorandum that pay parity in AFC pay bands will be maintained for the full year 2024/2025.
Implementation of the Pay Review Body Pay award of 5.5% will now be prepared. The Minister has advised that he will immediately provide funding for the cost of 10 months and has plans to secure funding for the balance of 2 months in the January monitoring round.
During a series of meetings unions were provided details of the intense pressures on the Northern Ireland Executive budget.
Our health committee met recently to receive an update on a round of meetings with the Health minister and DOH officials. The starting point was the absence of funding to enable implementation of the Pay Review Body award of 5.5% on AFC pay bands. It was confirmed that the absence of specific ring fenced funding from the UK Treasury was making it very difficult to give guarantees that a full award covering the 12 months of 2024 to 2025 would be available.
STATEMENT FROM HSC TRADE UNIONS NORTHERN IRELAND - 21st NOVEMBER 2024
Following an update from the Department of Health on the Executive discussion on public sector pay, Health Trade Unions in Northern Ireland reaffirmed our position that the Pay Review Body (PRB) recommendation should be implemented in full.
Furthermore, the Health Trade Unions insisted that any pay offer must ensure pay parity be backdated to 1st of April 2024.
This serious matter remains unresolved
Health Trade Unions in Northern Ireland met with Health Minister Mike Nesbitt on the 14th November regarding pay for 2024/25
The unions reiterated their position that the Pay Review Body (PRB) recommendation should be implemented in full. Furthermore, the Health Trade Unions insisted that any pay offer must ensure pay parity and be backdated to 1st of April 2024.
In response, the Minister presented a proposal. Both sides acknowledged the need for further discussion, which is set to continue in the coming days.
UNISON members across the Northern Ireland health service will gather at the steps of Stormont on Thursday November 7th at 12.30pm. Shop stewards and activists from all Health Trusts and arms-length bodies will be reminding the Assembly Health Committee meeting in the afternoon that their 2024 pay rise is long overdue.
UNISON NIs Health Committee is deeply disappointed at the fact that no pay offer has yet been made to Health staff. This leaves us once again almost a year behind other parts of the UK and NHS and in a situation where pay parity is not being maintained as was promised.
Health Trade Unions in Northern Ireland have met with Health Minister Mike Nesbitt in our first engagement regarding pay for 2024/25.
We pressed for this engagement as time is ticking on and there is still no clarity or certainty about our pay uplift for AFC staff working in health and social care in NI, an uplift that was due from April 2024. We clearly set out our frustration with the continuing time lag for health pay movement. Health staff in NI continue to be almost a year behind other parts of the UK NHS.
The pay and grading circular has now been issued, and we will advise members as soon as possible about payment dates.
Please go to the link to read the circular. If members have any queries please contact your branch.
No 352 Pay and Grading Review Agreement | Education Authority Northern Ireland (eani.org.uk)
Newry and Mourne UNISON health branch have expressed their horror and anger at the recent death of one of their members who was returning from work in the healthcare sector in Newry.