Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Michael Pringle

NHS workers rally outside Lanarkshire hospital as possibility of strike action looms over pay

Health service workers took part in a rally outside University Hospital Wishaw on Wednesday.

NHS workers including Lanarkshire nurses are currently locked in a pay dispute and are being balloted for strike action.

Members of organisers Unison were joined by counterparts from other unions including the Royal College of Nursing and GMB in the street outside the hospital.

A five per cent pay increase offer from the Scottish Government has been rejected with union bosses labelling it a "real-terms pay cut".

Outlining its offer to the union the Scottish Government said it had committed an overall £342m in available funding to uplift “Agenda for Change pay rates” which would enable a pay rise of five per cent, and would implement a “pay floor” increase to £10.50 per hour for the lowest paid staff.

Union members gathered for a rally at University Hospital Wishaw (Reach plc)

UNIOSN, which is Scotland’s largest NHS trade union, rejected the offer and its members were balloted for strike action earlier this month, with papers to be returned by October 31.

Around 50,000 health workers have been balloted. It’s the first time since Scotland’s devolved parliament was introduced that they have been balloted for strike action.

Margo Cranmer, secretary of UNISON’s Lanarkshire Health Branch, said: “Our members voted overwhelmingly to reject the five per cent offer, and up until now the Scottish Government haven’t came back with a significantly improved offer. We’re just trying to send a message that it’s just not enough. We’ve had below inflation rises for years, and this is another one.

“It’s not just nurses, it’s staff right across the NHS, allied health professionals, porters, domestics, nurses, catering staff. We have a staffing crisis like I’ve never seen before in the NHS and unless they pay workers a decent pay then we will struggle to recruit and maintain staff. There is a huge deficit in the number of student nurse places being filled this year in universities across Scotland. When these people qualify in three years’ time we are yet again not going to have enough registered nurses coming through.”

A second rally is scheduled for University Hospital Monklands on Wednesday, October 26.

Wilma Brown, chair of UNISON Scotland’s health committee, said: “These are unprecedented times and NHS staff are struggling to make ends meet.

"The Scottish Government’s pay offer is nowhere near enough and leaves everyone in the NHS worse off.

"It’s a real-terms pay cut across every single NHS salary band.

A five per cent increase has been rejected and union members have been balloted for strike action (Reach plc)

“We’re in the biggest cost-of-living and NHS staffing crisis in history and yet the Scottish Government want hard-working health workers to accept a real-terms pay cut.”

Matt McLaughlin, UNISON Scotland’s head of health, added: “Ministers need to understand the anger of health staff who are working in an under-funded, under-staffed NHS.

"It’s already an extremely stressful environment without having to worry about how you will pay your bills and feed your family.

“Nobody wants to take strike action but without an improved pay offer, our members will be left with no choice.

"That is why we are urging our health members to vote in favour of strike action.”

Scottish Health Minister Humza Yousaf said the ballot for strike action was “disappointing”.

*Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.

And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head on over and give us a like and share!

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.