The Royal College of Nursing in Wales has received a revised NHS pay offer from the Welsh government. Wales' health minister Eluned Morgan has confirmed that a pay deal with a "significant enhancement" on the original will be put to NHS workers.
The new offer, which has taken several weeks to reach, builds on the first offer from the Welsh government that added to the Pay Review Body (PRB) award which was rejected by members. It now includes a one-off 3% payment, backdated to last year, and a 5% offer from the start of this month.
Unite said it was still below inflation while the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said it was less than it wanted.
The Welsh Government says the package means that those on the bottom of Band 5, which includes nurses and other health care professionals just starting their careers in NHS Wales, will have received a total pay increase of over 17% (of which over 12% is consolidated) for the financial years for 2022-23 and 2023-24. This sees their starting salary at £28,834.
Lowest paid NHS staff will have received a pay increase of over 26% over 2022-23 and 2023-24, which means a starting salary of £22,720 which equates to an hourly rate of £11.39.
Nursing professionals across Wales over two days in December protested about poor wages and chronic staff shortages. Since then negotiations have been ongoing.
In March, health unions, including UNISON, agreed a 1.5% consolidated pay rise backdated to April 2022 as well as a 1.5% one off payment. This was in addition to a £1,400 pay increase for 2022/23.
RCN Wales will now ask its members to vote to accept or reject this latest offer in an online consultation which opens at 12 noon on Monday 24 April to 9am on Wednesday 10 May. Unite has paused industrial action and will begin balloting its members in May.
They said the pay offer fell short of inflation so did not address cost of living concerns, but was a "significant improvement".
RCN Wales said: "The offer is complicated, reflecting the weeks of in-depth negotiations required to reach this final package, and will depend on many different factors from person to person. The RCN's elected Wales board has decided to put this offer to members without a voting recommendation."
Helen Whyley, RCN Wales Director, said: “The Welsh government returned to negotiations because of the momentous pressure placed upon them by nursing staff in NHS Wales. Our members took the difficult decision to go on strike and their resolve and determination has led to the Welsh government showing that it was able to find the funds to improve its offer.
"The offer doesn’t come close enough to the pay award our members have been campaigning for. We have negotiated tirelessly over recent weeks to get the best possible outcome for our members and we trust that it will go some way to helping our members with the current cost of living crisis.
"However, our members have suffered pay freezes and real terms pay cuts over the last 10 years that have left their pay woefully short compared to where it should be. Our priority is to ensure that restoration of pay remains at the forefront of the agenda for the Welsh government.
"It is important that members now make their own informed choice based on their personal circumstances and - as always - what is in the best interest of their patients. Whichever way members decide to proceed, we will continue to champion their voice and deliver a pay campaign that is led by the opinions of those directly affected."
UNISON Cymru/Wales is recommending voters to accept the offer.
Head of bargaining and campaigns, Jess Turner, said: “It has taken months of talks in Wales to achieve this new improved pay offer for staff. Whilst we know they deserve more; this offer is a significant step forward and the best that could be achieved through negotiation.”
"Earlier this year, UNISON ambulance workers in Wales secured a mandate for strike action as morale hit an all-time low. However, this offer is a significant improvement from where we started in January.”
"The offer also contains additional terms & conditions commitments such as a reduction in the qualifying period for unsocial hours and enhancements on sick pay, down from the already negotiated three weeks to one week.”
"That’s why UNISON is now recommending voters to accept the offer. This will avoid loss of pay through strikes for workers, further delays in the NHS and will mean extra money in their pay checks. If health workers reject, there is a risk that the offer could be withdrawn. It’s now up to NHS workers to decide and see what the offer means for them financially.”
Ms Morgan said negotiations had been tough but she was "very grateful for the positive attitude taken in discussions in arriving at this best and final offer".
Adding: "These have been tough negotiations. We have been very open about the difficult financial position we are in as Welsh Government. That is further complicated by the large proportion of the Welsh Government budget that is used to fund the NHS in Wales and the proportion of that NHS budget pays for wages. We lack the flexibility enjoyed by UK Government in terms of both money available and restrictive financial rules.
"Hard choices have been required to fund this pay offer and we have drawn on our reserves and underspends from across government to put this offer together. Using this money to increase pay now means we can’t use it for other purposes – but we are confident that this is the right thing to do."
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