Unite Wales NHS members reject 3% pay rise and vote in favour of industrial action

Trade Union members have rejected a three per cent pay rise for NHS staff across Wales and voted in favour of industrial action.

Unite, which represents over 6000 NHS staff in Wales, balloted all of its NHS members in Wales through a consultative ballot

The three per cent rise for all NHS staff was accepted by the Welsh Government following recommendations from the NHS Pay Review Body and the Pay Review Body for Doctors and Dentists.

The increase, which would take effect retrospectively from April 2021, applies to staff employed in accordance with Agenda for Change terms and conditions, which include nurses, cleaners, porters and paid health support workers.

It also includes consultants, trainee doctors, specialist contract doctors and liaison specialists (SAS) before 2021, salaried GPs and dentists.

However Unite NHS members voted to reject their three per cent pay increase. 64 per cent said they were prepared to take strike action and 80% said that they would take action short of a strike.

Richard Munn, Lead Officer for NHS in Unite Wales said: “This consultative ballot clearly demonstrates the strength of feeling amongst Unite members.

“Unite members regularly express to us how angry they are about the 3% pay increase. After working for 18 months in the most challenging conditions imaginable they are being offered a pay increase that does not even keep pace with inflation.

“‘Taken for granted’, ‘undervalued’ and ‘ignored’ are words frequently used by our members in the NHS to describe how they are feeling.

“The incredible pressures of Covid combined with 11 years of sub inflation pay increases have led to our members saying enough is enough.

“After months of lobbying Welsh Government on the issue of pay we are pleased to report that meaningful discussions have now started. It is too early to say whether a solution that will satisfy our members will emerge, but Unite is committed to fully engaging fully in these discussions.

“Our members are some of the most caring and self-sacrificing people in society and for them to get to the point where they are talking about industrial action, demonstrates quite how critical the situation is.

“Unite genuinely hopes that industrial action can be avoided but remains open to the possibility of holding a further industrial action ballot if it is required.”