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The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has announced further strike action following members’ decision to reject the government’s pay offer.
The RCN strike will take place from 8pm on 30 April to 8pm on 2 May, and for the first time, it will also involve nursing staff working in emergency departments, intensive care units, cancer care and other services that were previously exempt.
In total, 61% of eligible RCN members voted in the ballot, with 54% voting to reject the pay offer and 46% voting to accept it.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Pat Cullen said the government’s pay offer “is simply not enough” to prevent nurses from returning to the picket line.
“Meetings alone are not sufficient to prevent strike action and I will require an improved offer as soon as possible. In February, you opened negotiations directly with me and I urge you to do the same now. After a historic vote to strike, our members expect a historic pay award,” she added.
What did the government offer nurses?
Members of the Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Midwives, UNISON and GMB (all of which are Agenda for Change unions) were offered a non-consolidated award of 2% of an individuals’ salary for 2022/23.
This is on top of the pay increase of at least 4% they received for 2022/23 last year, as recommended by the independent Pay Review Body process, worth at least £1,400. This means a newly qualified nurse received a 5.5% increase and those on the lowest salaries received a pay rise of 9.3%.
The government also offered unions a backlog bonus of at least £1,250 per person and a 5% consolidated increase in pay, worth at least £1,065, for 2023/24.
The RCN’s elected Council met recommended that members vote to accept the offer in a forthcoming consultation. Ms Cullen said: “It is not a panacea, but it is real tangible progress and the RCN’s member leaders are asking fellow nursing staff to support what our negotiations have secured.”
Have other unions agreed to the pay deal?
Contrastingly, UNISON, who represent 288,000 NHS workers across England, voted decisively to accept the pay offer from the government on Friday (14 April).
Just over half (53%) of members voted in the consultation, with almost three quarters (74%) voting to accept the offer, and 26% to reject.
UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “Clearly health workers would have wanted more, but this was the best that could be achieved through negotiation.
“Over the past few weeks, health workers have weighed up what’s on offer. They’ve opted for the certainty of getting the extra cash in their pockets soon.”
“This vote might end UNISON’s dispute, but it doesn’t solve the wider staffing emergency affecting every part of the NHS. Now, the government must work with unions to bring about a sustained programme of investment in the workforce.
“Lessons must also be learned. The mistakes of the past few months cannot be repeated. It’s time for a whole new approach to setting pay across the NHS,” she added.
GMB and RCM members are still in the process of voting, with the RCM ballot due to close at midnight on 25 April and the GMB ballot due to close on 28 April.
GMB and the RCM both encouraged their members to vote to accept the pay deal. Dr Suzanne Tyler, Executive Director, Trade Union at the RCM, said the offer was a “good deal” and GMB National Secretary, Rachel Harrison, said while the offer “is not perfect”, it is a “major step forward and this needs to be recognised.”
RCN will re-ballot members to extend scope and duration of strike action
The British Medical Association (BMA) says it supports nurses’ decision to strike and doctors will “stand by them in their ongoing campaign for fair pay, upcoming strike action and re-ballot.”
Meanwhile, the NHS Confederation says while NHS leaders “understand the pressures facing staff and the context that’s led to industrial action”, this latest development will lead to more uncertainty.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “We will now have to await the views of other unions before we can know where this will go next.”
The upcoming strike action is within the RCN’s current mandate to strike, which expires in early May. The College will now conduct a new England-wide statutory ballot to extend the scope and duration of the current mandate for industrial action.