Health workers mark NHS birthday with nationwide lobby

Health workers around the UK were today preparing to express their anger to their local MPs over NHS pay and underfunding.

As well as lobbying in constituencies, UNISON is encouraging its NHS members to use social media to get their message across to politicians and the general public.

The local lobbying comes ahead of the NHS’s 66th birthday, on Saturday, and follows a successful petition of MPs at Westminster earlier this week.

“On this NHS birthday we want the government to commit to a quality NHS with a quality NHS workforce that is resourced and properly motivated,” said UNISON national secretary for health Christina McAnea.

“We are taking our campaign to MPs locally, so that they feel the anger of our NHS staff and patients.

“Just 10 months ahead of the election, it is time MPs started to commit to an NHS that will be here for at least another 66 years.”    

UNISON is seeking urgent talks with the government to achieve a fair pay deal for NHS workers.

The union is calling for full implementation of the NHS pay review body’s recommendations for a 1% pay rise consolidated into everyone’s hourly rate of pay, and for the living wage.

It also wants a commitment to a cost of living increase for 2015.

But health secretary Jeremy Hunt has ignored this advice and is only giving a 1% increase to NHS workers at the top of their pay scales.

On Tuesday health workers from all over the country converged on Westminster to air their views to 60 MPs from all political parties on the problems of NHS pay and funding.

UNISON was among the health unions represented under the banner of the TUC’s All Together for the NHS campaign. 

Midwives, medical secretaries, porters, health care assistants, domestics, physiotherapists and nurses were among those urging the MPs to honour the pay review body’s recommendations.

After the briefing, UNISON head of health Christina McAnea chaired a Q&A session with Labour’s shadow health secretary Andy Burnham.

Today’s lobbying got off to an early start, as UNISON Cymru/Wales members were out in force at Cardiff Central railway station, en route to lobbying Welsh health minister Mark Drakeford.

“We are urging the health minister not to follow the same route as the government in England on NHS Pay,” said UNISON Cymru/Wales head of health Dawn Bowden.

“We know the financial situation in Wales is critical, thanks to massive cuts to the Welsh government budget from Whitehall. But we will be impressing on the minister that NHS workers in Wales should not have to pay the price for Tory austerity cuts.  

“Today will be an opportunity for ordinary UNISON members to speak to the minister face-to-face and tell him why they deserve a decent pay rise.”

She added that Mr Drakeford had made it clear he wanted dialogue with the trade unions in order to reach a pay settlement that was fairer than that imposed in England. “And we welcome that.”

In order to trend the local lobbying, UNISON is asking members to tweet their MPs using the hashtags #NHS66 and #NHSpay.

 

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