Members will have seen media reports that the NI Executive has allocated funding to the Department of Health towards 2025/26 Agenda for Change pay. This follows on from UNISON’s repeated calls for the Health Minister and Executive to deliver the full funding required for a pay uplift.
However, we are immediately concerned that the funding announced does not go far enough and that more needs to be done to deliver on pay. We have been clear that pay parity is the absolute minimum that is required. Commitments have repeatedly been made by Health Ministers and the Executive to pay parity and those commitments must be honoured.
The failure of the Minister and Executive to make progress on pay has led to the link to pay parity being broken since August. UNISON has been preparing to launch a ballot for industrial action, due to begin in mid-November. Preparations are ongoing and members are asked to get ballot ready by ensuring that their membership details are up to date.