Nursing union urges Scottish members to accept pay offer
- Published
A nursing union is recommending its members accept a new pay offer from the Scottish government.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the 6.5% increase from April, coupled with a promise of other changes, would make a "positive difference" to nurses.
The government implemented a 7.5% increase last year despite it being rejected by three health unions.
While they remain in dispute, they suspended strike action pending negotiations for the 2023/24 award.
Two other unions with members working in the NHS - Unison and Unite - accepted the previous year's pay award.
The Scottish government said it had committed an extra £568m to the 2023/24 offer to 160,000 NHS Scotland workers on Agenda for Change contracts - who includes nurses, paramedics, midwives and porters.
Staff up to Band 8a would see an uplift of at least 6.5%.
In addition, all staff would receive a one-off payment between £387 and £939 depending on banding.
Julie Lamberth, who chairs the RCN Scotland board, said the government had also promised to review Agenda for Change - the current NHS grading and pay system for staff.
"We have considered the offer from the Scottish government which includes a pay increase and a review of Agenda for Change and how it works for nursing," she said.
" We believe it will make a positive difference for our members which is why we are recommending they vote to accept the offer."
The union said the mandate for strike action remained, and if members rejected the offer it would look to announce strike dates.
The consultative ballot will open on Tuesday 28 February and close on Monday 20 March.
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and the GMB also remain in dispute about last year's deal but, like the RCN, they suspended industrial action pending negotiations on the 2023 pay award.
Both unions said they would also consult their members on the latest offer.
The RCM said the deal would mean most midwives would receive a consolidated 13-14% increase over a two-year period as well as a lump sum.
In a statement it said: "This additional payment was achieved as a direct result of RCM members continuing to be in dispute with the Scottish government over the imposed 2022/23 pay offer."
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said Scottish NHS staff would be by far the best paid in the UK
Wilma Brown, from Unison's health committee, welcomed the 2023 offer, but said NHS workers were rightly angry that it took government so long to settle last year's pay claim.
She said: "It's good to see that the government has listened and come forward with an offer for next year, a good few weeks ahead of 1 April. "
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said an extra £1bn was going into NHS staff pay over two years and newly-qualified nurse would see their pay increase by 15.8%.
Mr Yousaf said Scotland's NHS Agenda for Change staff were by far the best paid anywhere in the UK.
He said: "In fact, for NHS England to catch-up with Scotland the UK government would need to offer increases in 2023/24 of over 14% at the top of band 5, over 13% at the top of band 6, and over 12% at the top of band 7."
- Published17 February 2023
- Published13 January 2023
