A leaked motion calling for branches to reject the deal has revealed several key concerns over the proposed NHS pay deal.
The leaked document heavily criticises the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) for “misleading” members and selling the pay proposal as a “huge victory” – calling the advertised 29% pay rise “disingenuous”.
The document outlines the key concerns members have over the proposed NHS pay deal and calls for individual RCN branches to reject the proposed NHS pay offer.
Explaining that nurses and other healthcare professionals have suffered from ‘unacceptable’ pay restraint for the past 8 years – which has culminated in staff facing a 14% pay cut in real terms.
The primary raised concern is that 52% of NHS staff are already at the top of their banding and the proposal would see them receive a further real-terms pay cut as the deal, 6.5% over the three years, is below the OBR forecast for RPI inflation – which is set to increase by 9.6%.
Including a working example in the document; “If you are currently a band 6 on pay scale point 24 your salary is £29626. In 3 years you will be earning £32,731. With new NHS Pay now, you will be earning £33,779 in three years. That’s an increase of £1,048 equating to a 3% pay rise, not 14.02%”.
Several key concerns around changes to unsociable hours payments, performance related pay and sick pay for lower bands are also raised.
The document concludes by calling for the pay deal to be rejected and further criticises the warning on the RCN website which offers members an ultimatum – accept the deal or revert back to 1%.
Ms Irwin, Chief Negotiator for the RCN, told the NursingTimes earlier this month she thinks the deal “is the best possible deal we could negotiate given the current climate“.
Unions will be asking members to vote on the pay deal later this month.
You can read the document in full here.