Health workers are holding events across London today (Friday) to mark the day they should have been receiving their pay rise.
At hospitals and other NHS sites across London staff will be visibly protesting the government’s failure to deliver them any kind of pay rise at all this month, let alone one of the size they need.
Staff have also met with leading London politicians, such as Shadow Secretary of State for Health Wes Streeting MP, Shadow Minister for Mental Health Dr Rosena Allin-Khan MP and Leader of Redbridge Council Jas Athwal, to explain the importance of a pay rise for NHS staff.
An above-inflation pay rise would help the NHS compete with other employers for valuable staff, says UNISON.
Research by the union shows that major names on the high street including Amazon and Aldi are promoting wages which exceed NHS rates, making thousands of health staff including 999 call handlers, healthcare assistants, medical secretaries and cleaners a flight risk.
NHS workers are due their pay rise today, but the pay review process is still underway so they will have to wait until the summer to find out how the government plans to help them pay their bills.
Current treasury suggestions of a 2-3% pay rise fall well short of the minimum 6.2% increase in costs that workers face today. NHS staff also face a further squeeze on their salaries as free parking for health workers – introduced at the start of the pandemic – is being axed from today, adding extra costs when they can least afford them.
Nurses, paramedics, administrators, cleaners and pharmacy workers contributed to evidence given by UNISON and other unions to the NHS Pay Review Body this week, calling for urgent measures to prevent staff leaving the health service, making waiting lists even worse.
Increasing workloads and soaring living costs are a major worry for all health staff, and the union says this year’s wage increase must be above the rate of inflation (currently 6.2% under the consumer price index) to give NHS organisations a fighting chance to prevent their staff leaving for better paid jobs elsewhere.
Jamie Brown, Greater London UNISON head of health said: “Staff should have been looking forward to seeing more money in their wage packets today. But government dawdling has delayed their wage rise.
“They mustn’t be left waiting in the dark like last year especially with the cost of living rising by the minute. Or many more valuable health workers will leave jobs they love for better pay elsewhere.
“The government must wake up to the fact that nothing less than an above-inflation rise will do.”
Notes to editors:
–The NHS pay review body (PRB) is currently considering pay recommendations for England, Northern Ireland and Wales. UNISON has submitted the findings to the PRB as part of package of evidence covering the whole NHS workforce. The PRB is expected to make its recommendation in May.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
work.”
Media contacts:
Name M: 07813 722 747 E: n.burns@unison.co.uk