A major NHS nurses’ union has agreed unanimously at an emergency meeting to ballot members on strike action, accusing the government of “disdain and contempt” over a pay award.
The general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Pat Cullen, said it is now “time to stand up and say enough is enough” after millions of public sector workers were awarded pay rises of between 4 and 5 per cent.
Most full-time nurses in the NHS will get a basic pay rise worth 4 per cent, a salary increase of about £1,400, though new nursing staff will see starting pay rise by 5.5 per cent to £27,055.
