UNISON demands that Northern Ireland Budget fund fair pay for health workers

Today Westminster is debating the Northern Ireland Budget Bill setting funding for public services.

Commenting on the Westminster debate on the Budget Bill, UNISON Head of Bargaining and Representation, Anne Speed said:

“UNISON members in health and social services are currently being balloted for industrial action and actions short of strike due to the growing pay deficit between workers in Northern Ireland and other parts of the NHS.

For the last 8 months, we have been told by the Department of Health and the employers that they need resources from Westminster to pay workers what they are owed here.

Westminster is today debating a Budget Bill, but we are asking where the budget is to make sure health service workers are not left behind.

The workforce that the public needs to deliver care cannot be recruited and retained in the absence of fair pay. Our health service cannot continue to struggle on with unsafe staffing levels, crisis waiting lists and workers who are demoralised and undervalued.

This budget needs to be revised to ring-fence money to fund the pay award that the workers deserve and that our services need.

With a general election looming, we expect our local MPs will strongly make the case for pay justice for health workers in Northern Ireland.”