RCN welcomes move away from pay cartel

Published: 21 March 2013

The Royal College of Nursing has welcomed a statement from the South West pay, terms and conditions consortium (South West pay cartel) confirming its work has concluded. The final report of the consortium recommends that trusts work to implement national pay, terms and conditions. South West trust boards are meeting during March and April to consider the pay cartel’s report and recommendations. 

Following recent board meetings, Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Dorset County Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have each issued statements to their staff confirming their involvement in the current work of the cartel has concluded and that they will not be involved with any future work of the consortium.

Jeannett Martin, Regional Director of RCN South West, said: “The campaign by the RCN and other unions has been successful in diverting the South West pay cartel from their original intention to implement local pay systems across the region. 

“We are delighted that these trusts have given a clear commitment to a return to partnership working. We will work with other staff unions to ensure that staff interests are represented to employers.

“The RCN calls upon all employers in the South West who had been a member of the pay cartel to follow the lead of these three trusts and confirm to their staff that they will not return to a local pay cartel if it re-emerges in future. This will be a first step in rebuilding staff trust and confidence.”

The RCN believes regional pay systems are not only unfair for staff but are costly and complicated to implement and that this wasted money ultimately damages patient care.