NHS workers: Demand for 'urgent and significant pay rise'

Trade unions said Welsh NHS staff are 'exhausted' a year into the Covid pandemic in the UK

An "urgent and significant pay rise" is vital for NHS workers to reward staff and stop them leaving jobs, unions say.

"In the past year, Covid-19 has taken a terrible toll on our society. Many have sadly lost their lives and no-one has been untouched by the pandemic," said Welsh Partnership Forum chairman Paul Summers.

Nine trade unions have signed an open letter to the Welsh government.

They will give a presentation to health minister Eluned Morgan on Wednesday.

The Welsh government is still to make an announcement on potential pay rises, with reports from independent pay review bodies (PRBs) expected to be published in June.

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However, Ms Morgan suggested to Politics Wales it would be more than the 1% offered in England, adding: "I think we've got an obligation. We've seen people on the frontline who have really suffered.

"They've really worked their socks off over the past year and so, if we do need to step in and find some additional funding that is beyond the 1%, then we'll certainly look at that."

The Welsh government said on Wednesday: "We value and recognise the incredible work done by our NHS workers every day and none more so than during the pandemic'

"We haven't set an arbitrary cap on pay in our evidence to the pay review bodies and we will wait for their findings before we make an informed decision."

The Royal College of Nursing reacted angrily to proposals in England, saying it means £3.50 more per week in take-home pay for experienced nurses

Mr Summers encouraged the Welsh Government to go beyond the recommendations if they do not meet the trade unions' demands.

"Throughout Wales, the NHS and its staff have been both vital and central to supporting the people of Wales," he added.

"NHS staff have exhausted themselves physically and mentally in their efforts to tackle the virus and support patients in a system that was already underfunded and struggling.

"It is therefore our belief that there has never been a time when the need for an urgent and significant pay rise for NHS staff has been so great - a belief shared by so many people across Wales."

NHS staff have been on the front line in the battle against coronavirus, caring for patients

The open letter comes jointly from nine unions - the Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Midwives, GMB, Unite, Unison, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, BMA, British Association of Occupation Therapists and the Society of Radiographers.

Mr Summers also called for the 2021 pay award to be backdated to December 2020, adding: "With all the challenges that face NHS staff in the coming years, an urgent and significant pay rise is vital to reward staff and stem the tide of those leaving the NHS.

"Retaining and rewarding the skilled, dedicated and experienced NHS staff will have massive benefits on the health and wellbeing of Wales."

In the run-up to May's Senedd elections, Labour pledged to put in place the "biggest recovery plan the NHS has ever seen", a move that would include giving care workers the guarantee of a living wage.

At the time, a spokesperson referred to the situation in England, saying: "We understand the anger of staff across the NHS at the paltry 1% pay rise offered by the UK Tory government. Unlike the Tories in England, we haven't set an arbitrary cap on pay.

"The Welsh Labour government didn't include a cap on wage increases in its evidence to the pay review bodies and we wait to see their recommendations."

The Royal College of Nurses (RCN) said the Welsh Government should commit to a "12.5% increase" for all staff

Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended plans to give some NHS staff in England a 1% pay rise, amid warnings that "undervalued" nurses could quit.

He said the UK government is giving workers "as much as we can" in the "tough times" of the Covid pandemic.

The 1% rise in England, which is being considered by an independent panel, would cover most hospital staff.

UK Labour responded by saying the proposal goes against a UK government "promise" made last year to give NHS workers a 2.1% pay rise.

A bonus of £735 each was given to 222,000 Welsh NHS staff earlier this year - amounting to about £500 after tax is deducted.

The Royal College of Nurses (RCN) said the Welsh Government should commit to a "12.5% increase" for all staff.