Nurses are set to go on strike across Forth Valley for the first time in their history.
The action has been confirmed following a ballot of members from the Royal College of Nursing union, with nurses approving the move in every health board across the country as part of the ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions.
In Forth Valley, members voted decisively in favour of the landmark move - with 1,149 of the 1,201 votes cast in the region saying yes to heading out on strike.
The most recent pay offer from the Scottish Government was for a flat rate of £2,205 per person, backdated to April - but RCN chiefs have called for a five per cent rise above the current rate of inflation.
They confirmed that all strike action would be carried out “legally and safely”, with detailed plans and timelines for action set to be announced later.
Julie Lamberth, RCN Scotland Board Chair, said: “NHS pay is a political choice and for Scottish government ministers to suggest to nursing staff that fair pay should come at the expense of key services is insulting both to our members and the people of Scotland, who recognise that these services are already understaffed and rely on the good will of nursing staff to keep going.
“The Scottish government needs to face up to the reality that their failure to focus on workforce planning and to properly value those working in health and social care over the last decade is the root cause of the staffing crisis we face.
“The result of our strike ballot is a wake-up call that must not be ignored.”
An NHS Forth Valley spokeswoman confirmed to the Observer that work will be undertaken to plan ahead for any action and that “everything possible” will be done to ensure that disruption to local services owing to the strikes is kept to a minimum.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “While I am naturally disappointed that the Royal College of Nursing has rejected this record pay offer and is now considering taking industrial action, I respect the mandate they have been given.
“For the lowest paid, our pay offer represents an above-inflation 11 per cent pay rise, and it will ensure our nurses remain the best paid in the UK.
“I have always stressed that regular dialogue is essential to help avoid industrial action and I am committed to ongoing discussions with trade union partners.
“We have already had to reprofile £400m of health and social care funding to help with both inflationary costs and to meet pay demands. We have no more money for a further pay offer.
“There is a moral obligation on the UK Government, as the architects of the cost crisis we are facing, to provide further funding to the Scottish Government so we can mitigate the pressures caused by sky-rocketing inflation, and to help ensure we can offer our public sector workers the best pay deal possible.”
