28E To accept or not to accept the phased pay award 2007
Emergency resolution submitted by the RCN Welsh Board
That this meeting of RCN Congress demands that the Independent Pay Review Body recommendations are implemented in full by all governments from 1 April 2007
- Work led by the Membership, Representation and Diversity Committee
- Lead RCN Council member: Yvonne Dyer
Congress 2007 heard demoralised and disillusioned members demanding the full 2.5 per cent pay deal in full across the UK, during this emergency resolution debate.
In March 2007, Scotland’s Health Minister had already announced that Scotland would implement the Pay Review Body’s recommendations in full from 1 April 2007. Following Congress, RCN efforts persuaded nearly 200 MPs, including former government ministers, to join calls for the government to give nurses their pay award in full. In June 2007, the Health Minister for Northern Ireland asked the Executive to fund the pay award in full, while in July, the Welsh Assembly Government decided to implement the review body’s recommendation backdated to 1 April 2007.
Intense efforts to obtain a meeting with Gordon Brown continued through March to July. At the beginning of July, the new Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson agreed that talks should take place in the NHS Staff Council to try to seek a resolution and avoid industrial action.
An indicative ballot about whether RCN members wished to proceed to a formal ballot on industrial action closed on 3 August 2007; 95 per cent of those who responded said they did want to move forward with a second ballot. However the turnout was 18 per cent of the members balloted.
At the same time as the ballot was taking place, talks generated an improved offer from the health departments and RCN Council was convened on 13 August 2007 to consider the revised offer. Council did not agree to accept the offer and decided to consult with members.
A special delegate conference took place on 15 September 2007 to consider the revised pay offer in the light of responses to the consultation. Council decided with great reluctance to accept the revised offer.
Council’s decision was based on the ballot turnout, which at 18 per cent was not considered decisive, and more crucially, that other NHS unions had announced decisions to accept the offer earlier in the week of the delegate conference. Had the RCN proceeded to a formal ballot on industrial action, it would have meant ‘going it alone’ – an unsustainable position.
In order to try to secure a better and fairer award for 2008 the RCN provided robust written and oral evidence to the Review Body.
Following an announcement from the Prime Minister in January that multi-year pay deals should be pursued for public sector staff groups, in parallel to the Review Body process, the RCN has engaged in discussions about possible options, but with caution. Any deal would have to feel fair to nurses given the current economic climate and also provide safeguards against future economic fluctuations.