Nurses at Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital are set to strike for the first time in the hospital’s history.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) confirmed yesterday that members of most health boards had voted in favour of industrial action in their dispute over pay and safe staffing levels.
The threshold for going out on strike at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has been met.
It means nurses will walk out of the Paisley hospital and Renfrewshire doctors’ surgeries before the end of the year.
The strike ballot was issued last month after the RCN rejected a flat-rate pay rise of £2,205 per person, backdated to April.
Union bosses described the deal as a real-terms pay cut and accused the Scottish Government of not listening to staff concerns.
They had asked for at least five per cent above inflation which rose to 10.1 per cent in September.
RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen said: “I want to thank every member who took part in, or supported, this ballot. You can be very proud. The results are strong and clear.
“This is a defining moment in our history and our fight will continue through strike action and beyond for as long as it takes to win justice for the nursing profession and our patients.
“Anger has become action – our members are saying enough is enough.
“The voice of nursing in the UK is strong and I will make sure it is heard. Our members will no longer tolerate a financial knife-edge at home and a raw deal at work.”
The RCN did, however, commit to working with health boards to ensure all strike action is carried out “safely” and legally at all times.
It will also pay each of its striking nurses £50 a day for every day spent on the picket line to help to reduce the impact of lost earnings.
The RCN announcement comes one week after NHS workers in Unite union – around 2,500 people – also voted to strike.
Members of the GMB union and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy have also backed industrial action.
But Unison, Scotland’s largest health union, has suspended its strike ballot of NHS staff and is consulting its members on a revised pay offer until November 14.
Don't miss the latest headlines from around Renfrewshire. Sign up to our newsletters here
