How the unions are responding to the pay offer

Unite

Unite's Head of Health, Kevin Coyne, said:

"After months of long and tough negotiations, this is a breakthrough in the pay negotiations. The new package offered by the treasury gives extra help to the low paid and for staff in England. This pay remains staged, however there is also a commitment to review future pay and conditions.

"NHS workers in England from the 1st November will now fall in line with workers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who received pay increases in line with the Pay Review Body's recommendation of 2.5%.

"In addition to the improved pay offer for this year, unions, employers and the government have agreed to enter into talks prior to the next pay round, to consider a multi-year deal."

Previously the employers in England had refused to offer anymore money than the 2%, imposed by the Government, which overrode the Pay Review Body's recommendation of 2.5%.

RCN

Responding to today's pay offer Dr Peter Carter, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said:

"After several months of hard negotiating and tough campaigning by the RCN and other unions, NHS Employers and the Department of Health have today announced an improved pay offer for nurses and their NHS colleagues. "For months the government have said they would not move on a fair deal for nurses. But by running a hard-hitting campaign and an industrial action ballot, we have focused the minds of ministers, brought them back to the negotiating table and secured an improved offer for nurses. Our ballot of RCN members in England on whether they wish to move forward with a formal vote on industrial action over pay closes on Monday. "This offer does not give nurses all that we asked for but it could well be the means to resolve the current dispute and allow us to make progress on a range of workplace and professional issues. The offer will now be considered by the RCN's ruling council alongside the results of our industrial action ballot."

Royal College of Midwives

The Royal College of Midwives which represents over 95% of the UK's practising midwives is set to consider an improved NHS pay offer. The new package gives assistance to Midwives in England - who have seen the value of the original award reduced by approximately £110 following the government's decision to stage its implementation – by offering a £38 contribution towards professional fees for 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

There is also a commitment to review future pay and conditions.

Dame Karlene Davis, General Secretary, said: "Pay negotiations this year have been soured by the government's refusal to fully implement the original offer made by the independent Nursing and Other Health Professionals Review Body. Both the level of the award and the manner of its implementation led to the RCM calling for industrial action short of a strike for the first time in its history. This has led to months of long and tough negotiations, in England, outside of the traditional process.

"The package on offer is a complex one and will mean different things to different NHS staff depending on where they live and it is still a below inflation deal for most . However we recognise that it is the best offer we are likely to achieve via negotiations and RCM council and officers will be considering it carefully over the next few days. We will also consider how to consult with our members over whether they wish to accept it."

UNISON

New NHS pay offer on the table

Union negotiators have secured a new pay offer for health workers.

UNISON will now ask all members working in the NHS whether they wish to accept the offer.

The health executive believes it is the best that can be achieved through negotiation.

Should members reject the new deal, they should also be prepared to support industrial action, the executive said.

The improved offer will put extra cash in the pockets of the lowest paid workers in the NHS, no matter which country they are in. In England only, training budgets for non-clinical staff will be boosted, and clinicians will get money to put towards their registration fees.

Should staff accept the offer, those in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will get the full 2.5% increase recommended by the pay review body immediately, backdated to 1 April this year.

The award will still be staged in England, with staff getting 1.5% payable from 1 April and the remaining 1% from 1 November.

The improved offer at a glance: more money for the lowest paid. From 1 November there will be a £400 flat rate increase for those on Bands 1 and 2. Those on Bands 3 and 4 will receive an additional £38 as well as the 2.5%. This will be payable in all 4 UK countries; in England only, there will be additional money for staff training targeted directly at those non-clinical staff who often lose out when training budgets are cut; also in England only, there will be £38 paid to staff on Bands 5, 6, 7 and 8(a) who are required to register to practice – this money is a contribution to their professional fees.

Full details will be available on the health pages of the UNISON website. They will also be circulated to health branches, and sent to all UNISON members in the NHS, together with ballot papers.

Ballot papers are due to be sent out on 20 August. The ballot will close on 13 September.