30E. Royal wedding bank holiday

Resolution submitted by the RCN Greater Liverpool and Knowsley Branch

That this meeting of RCN Congress demands that all health care employers apply bank holiday rates of pay for the royal wedding on 29 April.

Progress reports

Submitted by: RCN Greater Liverpool and Knowsley Branch
Council lead and committee assigned: No Council member assigned, Membership and Representation Committee
Committee decision: Existing work addresses this issue
Members involved: None

Final summary update at May 2012

This Congress debate discussed how the Royal Wedding on 29 April 2011 was designated a public holiday.

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland employers acted consistently with AfC terms providing enhanced hours payments as well as a day off in lieu. However, many NHS employers in England refused to accept this additional day as falling within the arrangements for public holiday payment, and only gave a day off in lieu and paid normal daily rates.

5 June 2012 has been declared a public holiday to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The RCN, through the NHS Staff Side, has argued that staff required to work on 5 June should be paid the enhancements appropriate to a public holiday. However, the view from NHS Employers is that, while local employers can decide their payment and leave arrangements for that day, employees who are required to work should be given a day off in lieu and other staff would be entitled to a day’s paid leave on that day.

Scotland and Wales are taking a similar approach with only Northern Ireland agreeing to pay public holiday enhancements for working on the day.

Update at November 2011

The Royal Wedding Day on 29 April 2011 was designated a Public Holiday. However as Agenda for Change (AFC) only allows for eight public holidays many NHS employers in England refused to accept this additional day as falling within the AFC arrangements for payment for working on that day. Following a failure to reach a national agreement on this through the NHS Staff Council, local employers were able to negotiate with staff sides their own arrangements.

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (as well as in a number of large independent sector organisations) employers acted consistently with the AFC terms i.e. enhanced hours’ payments for those who worked as well as a day off in lieu. Some other employers in England also agreed these terms. However most employers in England did not and were only prepared to give a day off in lieu and pay normal daily rates to those who worked. Despite significant local challenges by staff side organisations it was not possible to get the enhanced benefit for all.

There is likely to be an additional public holiday in 2012 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen.

NHS staff side will be challenging NHS employers regarding the forthcoming Public Holiday in 2012 and will be arguing that it should be reimbursed as a normal public holiday under the provisions of Agenda for Change.

In light of other negotiating priorities, in particular around changes to the NHS pension scheme and agenda for change and a backdrop of industrial action across the public sector this is not a priority as at November 2011.