64.91% of UNISON health members have voted in favour of accepting a 3-year pay offer worth 8.1%. The union carried out an individual postal ballot of its 452,000 members working in the NHS including nurses, paramedics, occupational therapists, porters, midwives, health care assistants, technical, admin, cleaning, security and catering staff over the deal that will establish a new NHS minimum wage of £6.77 in year 2.
This result means that UNISON and the RCN, the two largest NHS Trade Unions, have now endorsed the multi-year agreement.
Karen Jennings, UNISON Head of Health said:
ÒUNISON gave all our health members the opportunity to make their vote count and the ballot result shows what a tough decision it has been. The 2.75% on offer this year is the best in the public sector and the 3-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.
ÒWe 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.Ó
Notes to Editors
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.