UNISON Northern Ireland

NIC-ICTU Health trade unions demand the pay cap is lifted for public sector workers

In September Health Trade Unions in Northern Ireland joined their English, Scottish and Welsh counterparts in making public a claim for a fair pay rise and a universal lifting of the public sector pay cap.

NHS Staff in Northern Ireland are suffering a minimum 3% deficit in pay compared to colleagues in the other regions and with the costs of living rising, dedicated Health workers here are suffering financial loss whilst pressure on workers mount, workloads increase, and services suffer.

The Trade Unions further stress even with the news of an ‘extra’ £40m in allocated funding, Health Services are still faced with the arbitrary threat of £30m cuts remaining from the previously and abruptly announced £70m in cuts.

With this funding crisis in full flow the unions must highlight total opposition to the widespread use of Agency Staff (some at a cost of up to £120 per day for agency nursing staff as reported this week in the Irish News and Belfast Telegraph). These vast sums would be better directed to funding sustainable, permanent and dedicated staff currently being denied a fair pay uplift.

With the political impasse still in its full throws and with no Stormont Minsters in place, the UK Government in the past weeks via Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire has announced it is to impose a budget for the region.

If this is going to happen Health Trade Unions representing all categories of NHS staff in Northern Ireland must insist that the Government recognises that workers here have been left lagging behind; we must insist that money is allocated to address the deficit workers are suffering here compared to their counterparts doing the same work elsewhere, and must insist that the Pay Review Body’s recommended 1% pay uplift, due since April 2017, is also allocated funding and paid immediately.

This can only be the minimum first step to rectifying the wrongful treatment of hard-working Health staff and going forward the Trade Unions will continue to campaign, lobby and fight in furthering the demand that public funds are properly allocated and that our members’ pay is brought in line and that the gap is closed.