Health and nursing unions are set to continue with strike action despite holding talks with the Welsh Government over a pay dispute. Health minister Eluned Morgan held talks with nine unions on Thursday to try to avoid further NHS strikes in Wales.
The GMB, which represents ambulance workers, said Ms Morgan told unions any money put forward to resolve the dispute would be non-consolidated rather than permanent following reports that ministers are considering a one-off payment to health workers.
The union's south west and Wales representative Nathan Holman said it would "not accept a one-off payment" which it said would "not be sufficient to address the real problems with pay" in the industry. Nurses in Wales staged two days of industrial action on December 15 and 20 - the first time in history they have done so - in a row over low pay and chronic staff shortages. NHS staff in Wales have been offered a pay rise of between 4% and 5.5%, but unions are fighting for an increase closer to inflation, which is currently around 10%.
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Last month's strikes saw significant disruption to Welsh health services with thousands of routine appointments and surgeries cancelled. No further nursing strikes are currently planned in Wales but ambulance workers staged their second strike on Wednesday this week.
Speaking earlier this week First Minister Mark Drakeford had said the Welsh Government was not in a position to offer staff more money despite the NHS Wales experiencing its busiest day in history on December 27. It emerged over the weekend that the Welsh Government had offered health workers a one-off payment to try and end the dispute. The First Minister said the Welsh Government couldn't afford to make this a permanent offer until there was a resolution in England.
Mr Holman confirmed Ms Morgan had met with unions and "set out her position that any monies put forward would not sustain a consolidated increase going forward". He said the minister had pledged to work with the unions to decide how money put on the table could be implemented as a non-consolidated payment, adding that this was not on offer the union could put to its members.
"GMB made the minister aware that our members would not accept a one-off payment as this would not be sufficient to address the real problems with pay," he stressed. "GMB will of course remain around the table to negotiate. However our members will continue to fight for fair pay and we will have no alternative than to continue with industrial action."
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), which represents nursing staff, said the Welsh Government's approach was "simply not enough to offer a substantive and restorative pay award" to its members and that it would be announcing more strikes in Wales imminently unless the dispute was resolved. RCN Wales director Helen Whyley said: "Yet again the Welsh Government has blamed the UK government’s lack of additional funding for public services rather than taking responsibility to invest in Welsh nurses delivering Welsh NHS services for Welsh people.
"Welsh Government continue to fail dismally to resolve the RCN’s pay dispute and to address the extensive and unsustainable nursing staffing crisis in the NHS. The approach put forward today is simply not enough to offer a substantive and restorative pay award to our members, which is what we have called for all along.
“From the perspective of nursing staff the Welsh Government are not negotiating seriously on NHS pay. Unless they do so urgently we will be announcing further strike days for Wales imminently.”
The union representing midwives echoed the two other unions. Vicky Richards, RCM National Officer for Wales, said: "We welcome the engagement of the Welsh Government with the RCM and other unions to try to find a solution. We will continue discussions but without a concrete offer, the RCM’s plans for strike action in Wales are continuing. Ultimately, the Welsh Government must find a way to deliver a decent deal for midwives, maternity support workers and our NHS colleagues. That deal must make up for years of pay freezes and pay stagnation, offsets the spiralling cost of living, keeps midwives and MSWs in the NHS and delivers better working conditions for them and ultimately better care for women, babies and families. We have a strong mandate from RCM members in Wales with over 90% voting for industrial action."
Ms Morgan said: “I want to thank all the health unions for attending today’s meeting and for engaging in the discussion constructively. We recognise and respect the strength of feeling among the membership of the unions, which has been expressed through the recent ballots for industrial action and the strikes. I hope we can continue these discussions in the spirit of social partnership."
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