UNISON WELCOMES RETURN OF PAY TO STAFF FOR HOURS LOST DUE TO INDUSTRIAL ACTION
Today (9th December) the Minister for Health, Robin Swann MLA, has announced that pay lost by health and social care workers taking industrial action from November 2019 to January 2020 will be returned. Reacting to this announcement, UNISON Head of Bargaining and Representation Anne Speed said:
‘‘Health Minister Swann's action to return pay to health staff for hours lost due to industrial action is welcome. The endorsement of his recommendation by the Executive is a clear acknowledgement that workers would not have been in this situation but for the collapse of the power sharing government and the Assembly, a collapse that lasted 3 years.
All UNISON members across health and social care rose as one team to take a stand in defence of their health service and this is a further vindication of their stand. They rallied in their thousands for nine weeks from November 25th 2019 to restore pay parity. UNISON members including nurses, porters, administrative staff and social care worker undertook industrial action for a just cause, just as they had done in 2011 and 2015.
Our members have been brave and determined in efforts to support the people during this Covid pandemic. The thanks they have received from the public has been a morale boost. The return of lost pay will further boost their morale at a time when our health service is under pressure like never before. We will be pressing to ensure that this pay is returned as part of the December pay packet. We are continuing to campaign for all health and social care workers to get an early and significant pay rise in recognition of their continued efforts.’’