Pay cartel not recognised by NHS unions

Published: 24 August 2012

The Royal College of Nursing was represented at a meeting earlier this week when NHS trade unions  said they do not recognise the pay cartel set up in south west England.

The south west pay cartel, formally known as the South West Pay, Terms and Conditions Consortium, has been discussing proposals to potentially cut the pay, terms and conditions for NHS staff in the region.

South West NHS Staffside Chair Christina McAnea said: “NHS staff are paid on national terms and conditions and any negotiations to alter them should be on a national level. This organisation has no status  or authority to enter into negotiations, and the trades unions will therefore not be engaging with any proposals made by the cartel to cut pay, terms and conditions of our members.”

The NHS unions say that moves to cut pay, terms and conditions would have a serious detrimental impact across the whole of the south west and NHS trusts may start to lose skilled staff to other  organisations, resulting in a detrimental effect on patient care.

“It beggars belief that at a time of financial constraint across the NHS, 20 trusts have ploughed £200,000 in total into a scheme whose only outcome will be to penalise hard-working staff, “ added Christina.

NHS unions will continue to work constructively with individual employers to address local issues such as productivity and workforce planning.

Further information

Joining the RCN at the meeting were representatives from the BMA, the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, Unite, Unison, the RCM, the Society of Radiographers, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists and the GMB.

Read more about the south west pay cartel.