TWO major health unions have begun balloting members in Scotland on potential industrial action over pay.
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland’s vote opens today, with the RCN recommending that members reject a pay offer from the Scottish Government. Meanwhile, UNISON began a consultative digital ballot of 35000 NHS staff across Scotland yesterday with a recommendation they also turn down the same 5% offer.
Polling for the RCN ahead of the vote found that 70% of the public say the 5% pay increase offered is “less than adequate” when it comes to reflecting the value of nursing staff.
The union said the survey also showed that 80% of the Scottish public believe there are not enough nursing staff to provide safe and effective care in Scotland’s health and care services. Some 66% identified pay as one of the main factors influencing whether there are enough nurses and healthcare support workers to provide safe and effective care.
The levels of stress involved in nursing and the number of hours staff have to work were also highlighted as key factors.
RCN members are being asked about the acceptability of the 2022-23 pay offer and whether they would be willing to participate in industrial action if the majority of members vote to reject the offer.
The RCN’s Fair Pay for Nursing campaign is calling for a pay increase of 5% above RPI inflation.
Julie Lamberth, chair of the RCN Scotland board, said: “The public are absolutely right to be concerned about nursing shortages. Some 86% of RCN members in Scotland have told us that staffing levels are not sufficient to provide safe and effective care, and six in 10 RCN members are considering leaving their jobs.
“Nursing pay has been held below inflation for years, and the spiralling cost of living has only worsened the impact of longstanding low pay. With staffing levels at crisis point and nursing vacancies at a record high, there has never been a more important time to fight for the pay that nursing staff deserve.
“Our members are exhausted, feel undervalued, and are leaving the
profession in large numbers. To recruit and retain enough staff to deliver safe and effective care to patients, the Scottish Government must pay nurses what they deserve.”
UNISON said the pay offer is also “deeply unfair” as it will give those at top of the pay bands a pay rise of more than £5000 per year while those on the lower bands will get nearer £1000 per year extra.
Wilma Brown, chair of the UNISON Scotland health committee said: “NHS staff have been taken for granted, staff have endured over 10 years of real-term pay cuts only to be told by the Scottish Government that, yet again, they will have to accept a below-inflation pay rise. NHS staff are struggling to afford the price of fuel to get them to work. They need more than praise and platitudes from Government, they need a decent pay rise.
“A 5% increase across the board just doesn’t cut it and the Scottish Government needs to understand how angry we are. UNISON is urging members to vote to reject this pay offer and indicate they will take the very difficult decision to take industrial action unless, of course, the Health Secretary improves the offer.”
