Planned strikes by NHS workers looked set to go ahead after trade union leaders branded talks with Steve Barclay over pay “bitterly disappointing” and an “insult”.
A walkout of ambulance workers will go ahead on Wednesday after the failed crisis talks, during which Mr Barclay told union leaders any pay increase would have to involve greater “productivity and efficiency” from staff.
The Royal College of Nursing said ministers “have a distance to travel to avert next week’s nurse strike”, while physiotherapists also said they would be announcing strike dates later this week after the talks broke down.
But in a potentially significant move, the health secretary also told unions he will consider their calls for a one-off payment ahead of a review looking at next year’s pay settlement starting in April.
A source close to Mr Barclay told The Independent that a one-off payment “was raised by the unions and we agreed to take it away and look at it. We’d like to have a conversation about how we make the system work more efficiently, deliver more and treat more patients.”
Unite negotiator Onay Kasab said Mr Barclay told them they would need to “justify” a payment through productivity. The union official said it was “absolutely clear” that the government “wants our members to give more in order for it to consider a payment – that is absolutely outrageous.
“This isn’t a factory we’re talking about. We’re talking about people who are working well beyond their contracted hours anyway,” the Unite official told broadcasters. “When you have staff working 18-hour shifts, I think that’s insulting.”
Rishi Sunak did not deny reports that the government was considering a one-off hardship payment to help NHS staff in the current financial year, but said any future pay rise would have to be “affordable” and not further increase inflation.
Despite the government’s insistence that Monday’s meeting would be focused on the upcoming 2023-24 pay review, some union leaders had expressed cautious optimism after Mr Sunak said he was “open” to discussing pay.
But the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) described the 45-minute meeting with Mr Barclay as “bitterly disappointing” and criticised his unwillingness to discuss a 2022-23 pay award. The RCN said strikes planned for 18 and 19 January would still go ahead.
Joanne Galbraith-Marten, director of employment relations at the RCN, said there was “nothing” offered on pay for the current financial year. “This intransigence is letting patients down. Ministers have a distance to travel to avert next week’s nurse strike,” said the nursing union official.
The GMB union said the 11 and 23 January ambulance strikes would go ahead as planned after the talks “fell well short”. Rachel Harrison of GMB said: “There was some engagement on pay – but not a concrete offer that could help resolve this dispute.”
However, Sara Gorton, head of health at Unison, praised the “change in tone” from the health secretary and said some “progress” had been made on the idea of greater pay for NHS staff.
“It was definitely progress when you’re in a room with the secretary of state talking about pay, I think. He’s asked for our help to help with the Treasury to make the case for investment. We’ll certainly do that,” she said.
Mr Barclay “requested further discussion” with union leaders and asked for more ideas that could “unlock additional funding” in the NHS, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Thousands of junior doctors in England began voting on Monday on whether to strike. Physiotherapists said they would be announcing strike dates later this week, despite talks with Mr Barclay.
“Although the meeting was more constructive this time, there is nothing tangible on the table,” said Elaine Sparkes of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
Meanwhile, teaching unions were holding talks with education secretary Gillian Keegan ahead of announcements expected later this week over whether its members will go on strike.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), has said “no concrete progress” was made in talks with Ms Keegan – but added that there would be more talks.
“There is no offer, there is no change. There are further discussions to happen that we will engage in while still urging our members to vote in the ballot. There is nothing so far that would dissuade us from taking industrial action.”
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said the talks were “largely unsatisfactory” and concerns over pay and teacher shortages “remain unresolved”.
Meanwhile, rail minister Huw Merriman called the RMT and Aslef train unions after sustained action crippled services. The RMT’s general secretary Mick Lynch did not comment on how talks went, but Mr Merriman described the meeting as “constructive”.
Talks will also be held between the government and the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) civil service union in a bid to resolve a bitter dispute over jobs, pay and pensions.
PCS members working for Border Force, the Rural Payments Agency, the Department for Work and Pensions, National Highways and those working as driving examiners have been taking staggered action since 13 December.
The union’s general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “We will, of course, accept the invitation to the meeting, during which we shall tell him if he wants a resolution to the dispute, he must put some money on the table.”
