Date: Friday 6 June 2008

NHS PAY OFFER ACCEPTED

UNISON members working in the NHS have voted to accept a multi-year pay offer worth more than 8%. An individual postal ballot of 452,000 members working in the NHS saw 64.91% of those taking part, vote to accept the three-year offer worth 8.1% - and more to some members.

A full range of health workers, including nurses, paramedics, occupational therapists, porters, midwives, health care assistants, technical, admin, cleaning, security and catering staff backed the deal.

This result means that UNISON and the RCN, the two largest NHS unions, representing the overwhelming majority of NHS staff, have now endorsed the multi-year agreement.

"UNISON gave all our health members the opportunity to make their vote count and the ballot result shows what a tough decision it has been," commented UNISON head of health, Karen Jennings.

"The 2.75% on offer this year is the best in the public sector and the three-year deal offers stability. However, the rising costs of everyday items such as food, fuel and energy obviously make members wary about being locked into a three-year deal."

"That is why we negotiated a re-opener clause that we will not hesitate to trigger if inflation continues to rise.”

"We know that a number of small health unions have voted against accepting the offer and we will be making it a priority to meet with them and discuss a way forward."

The two-thirds ‘Yes' vote in the ballot represents a solid vote for acceptance in the most representative test of opinion across the NHS workforce, as a result of a full postal ballot of the union with the largest membership across all grades and professions.

But the union also recognises that a third of members in the ballot voting against the package reflects the anxiety felt about increasing food and fuel prices.

The union warned the government that UNISON members will not tolerate a below-inflation increase next year, and if inflation continues to go up rather than down, UNISON will trigger the re-opener clause for year two.

Members can expect to see the money from this pay rise in their pay packets in July.

Summary of the Offer

The offer gives 2.75% in the first year.

In year 2, it gives 2.54%. It also establishes for all NHS staff a new minimum wage of £6.77 an hour in that year that is 18% higher than the statutory rate. Those on the lowest point will receive an increase of 5.7%.

In the third year the proposed deal gives 2.5%. It includes a flat rate increase of £420 (worth 3.17% at the lowest point) for the bottom three grades.

Nurses, midwives and paramedics on the main grade 5 and the bottom of grade 6 will receive extra money on top of the basic increase from the second year, to recognise that more than a quarter have reached their pay ceiling. Full details at: http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/B3896.pdf

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