NHS Scotland staff prepared to strike over pay - unions

NHS workers in Scotland are prepared to strike over pay, union leaders have warned.

Healthcare staff from five unions will be balloted on industrial action after rejecting a 5% offer from the Scottish government.

Unite, Unison, GMB, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy condemned the deal.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said he was disappointed and would look to reopen talks with the unions.

The Scottish government has described the 5% pay deal as the largest single-year increase since devolution.

However inflation - the rate at which prices are rising - is standing at 9.4%, with the Bank of England warning it could hit 13%.

Unite said the offer was a "real-terms pay cut" and thousands of staff were ready to take industrial action.

"Workers have indicated that they are prepared to take action in order to strike a better deal from the Scottish government," general secretary Sharon Graham said.

"Unite will now move to an industrial action ballot, and our members will have the full support of their union in the fight to secure better jobs, pay and conditions."

Unison confirmed it would ballot its 50,000 NHS members from 3 October.

A preliminary consultative ballot found 83% of its members would vote to take industrial action.

Wilma Brown, who chairs of the union's Scotland health committee said the views of the membership were clear.

"They worked flat out during the pandemic and were promised so much by politicians and yet when it comes to the crunch our domestics, caterers, porters and other low paid members are only worth an extra £900 per year," she said.

"Our members in nursing were offered less than £1,500 whilst senior managers are offered more than £5,000 in the same pay deal. So much for all staff being valued equally."

The union has called on First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to intervene in a bid to avoid strikes.

GMB Scotland organiser Karen Leonard said healthcare workers were concerned about making ends meet as costs continue to rise.

"More of our members are affected by debt, fuel poverty and hunger, while soaring inflation and energy bills means the real-terms value of this pay cut will get bigger with each passing month - there's no doubt this crisis is turning into a catastrophe for many frontline staff and their families," she said.

"If the minister wants to recruit and retain the people desperately needed to help our NHS recover from the peril it is in, then he must value these key workers better and particularly those in the lowest pay grades, who do not receive the biggest cash increases under this offer.

"However, if these hard truths are not recognised and confronted then industrial action affecting NHS services looks inevitable in the months ahead."

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said it would also launch a formal ballot on industrial action in the next few weeks.

But its members would not take any action which would put women or babies at risk, they added.

Jaki Lambert, RCM's director for Scotland said: "Midwives and maternity support workers are feeling undervalued and frankly they have had enough.

"The Scottish government's sub-par pay offer will be the final straw for many members already looking for the door."

Meanwhile the RCN's Scottish members will join colleagues in England and Wales in being asked to vote in a statutory strike ballot which opens on 15 September.

Julie Lamberth, chair of the RCN Scotland board, said they were "angry and frustrated" that the Scottish government had failed to address a workforce crisis and proposed "yet another real terms pay cut".

"Enough is enough. In all my years in nursing I have never known such strength of determination amongst nursing staff," she added.

And Alex MacKenzie, who chairs the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy said members were angry about the pay offer.

"It barely meets half the current rate of inflation, let alone addressing the predicted rate which is set to rise even higher in the coming months," she added.

Mr Yousaf, the health secretary, said: "While we respect the mandate given to trade unions, I am disappointed they have voted to reject the record 5% pay deal for NHS Scotland Agenda for Change staff, and are now holding ballots for industrial action.

"We will consider the next steps and look to re-engage with trade unions as soon as we can, and hope to reach a satisfactory outcome."