Nurses were missed out of a recent public sector pay deal.
MPs have been awarded a £3,300 pay rise just months after leaving nurses and other frontline healthcare workers out of a pay deal for public sector workers.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has today decided to push ahead with the above-inflation rise despite calls to freeze politicians’ pay amid the current economic downturn.
Over the past decade, the salary of MPs has risen by a massive £19,694 while in stark contrast the salary of the most experienced frontline nurses has risen by just £3081 – far below the rate of inflation.
A recent survey by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) found that there has been a sharp rise in the number of nursing staff considering quitting the profession – with poor pay being cited as one of the main reasons.
An insult to hardworking taxpayers.
Earlier this only a handful of MPs turned up to debate a pay rise for health and social care workers, and in July, over 900,000 public sector workers were awarded significant pay rises for “their efforts on the frontline during the battle against COVID-19”.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is calling for a 12.5% pay rise for all NHS workers.
Dame Donna Kinnair, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the RCN, said: “Nurses have put their lives on the line every day of the pandemic to provide professional care to their patients.
“If MPs accept this pay rise, while the Government drags its heels on paying nursing staff what they’re worth, it will be shocking to all health and care staff.
“We don’t want claps, or medals or pin badges – just pay us fairly for the tough job we do.”
A strongly worded letter.
Anthony Johnson, lead organisor for the grassroots group Nurses United UK who are calling for a 15% pay rise for all healthcare workers added; “Go talk to anyone in the street and ask them whether or not they think MPs deserve a pay rise and they’ll say no.
“Ask about NHS workers and almost everyone would be saying that they think we deserve a minimum of 10% because we all know who cares for us and who we value in society. Unfortunately, most Westminster politicians, from every major party aren’t listening to the public or their NHS workers when we’re on our knees. We won’t win by writing a strongly worded letter and asking someone to come to the table.
“We’ll win by organising all the people we know, NHS workers and our loved ones, to create a political crisis for any politician that doesn’t listen to what the public wants”