As reported by UNISON, The health union has praised the Scottish Government’s direct pay talks after NHS workers in Scotland accepted a new two-year, above-inflation pay deal
Helga Pile, UNISON’s head of health, said the agreement – secured through proper negotiation rather than the traditional pay review body process -gives staff certainty, faster access to their pay increase and improved industrial relations.
“All being well, NHS staff in Scotland should get this year’s pay rise in their June pay packets,” said Pile. “Staff elsewhere are still waiting. Seven weeks after their increase was due, they’ve not heard a dicky bird from the UK government.”
The Scottish pay deal includes an inflation-proof guarantee, and Pile called it a clear example of the benefits of direct negotiation over what she described as the “outdated, slow and costly” UK-wide pay review system. She urged ministers in Westminster to “take a leaf out of the Scottish government’s book.”
The union leader also highlighted the growing pay gap between NHS staff in Scotland and their counterparts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Currently, cleaners and porters in Scotland earn at least £4,000 more, nurses up to £5,000 more, and experienced paramedics can earn £5,700 more than those doing the same jobs elsewhere in the UK.
Pile warned that delays in resolving pay in other nations are harming not just staff morale and finances, but also patient care. Without budget clarity, she said, health trusts cannot plan properly, and backlogs and waiting lists will continue to grow.
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