As reported by The Guardian, the health secretary could offer a one-off payment to healthcare staff in order to combat the cost of living crisis
Healthcare unions are thinking about pausing industrial action in order to allow for formal pay negotiations with health secretary, Steve Barclay.
Barclay has announced that he was open to negotiate a one-off payment so healthcare staff could handle the current cost of living crisis.
The RCN has already delayed their strikes last week in response to Barclay’s invitation for formal negotiations. This has however angered other healthcare sectors who have not received the same offer from the secretary. Ambulance workers and approximately 32,000 Unison members are expected to strike next Wednesday.
Barclay has in response written to the NHS Staff Council – the governing body of NHS salary, proposing the one-off payment under the condition that strikes would have to be called off if the unions wanted to negotiate.
The unions are currently undertaking the decision of whether to accept the health secretary’s offer and are asking for the government to guarantee that the offer of higher pay would be included in the talks.
“The government has finally realised what we’ve been saying all along – they need to talk pay now,” says Rachel Harrison, the GBM national secretary.
Barclay’s invitation to the Royal College of Nursing is speculated to be a calculated move as they have received the most support from the public in their opposition to the government according to polls.
Junior doctors have decided to push through with their 72hr strikes on March 13th after the BMA reported disappointing meetings with the government.
“We will not call off the strike action until there is something meaningful to give to our members to vote on,” says Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chair of the junior doctors’ committee.
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