RCN Council votes to ballot members on industrial action
Published: 24 August 2007
In an historic move the Royal College of Nursing's (RCN) governing council has voted to ballot its members on industrial action following the refusal of the government to give nurses their 2.5 percent pay award in full, disregarding the recommendations of the Independent Pay Review Body.
The RCN will now consult with its 300,000 members who work in the NHS to ask them whether they would be prepared to support a ballot for industrial action. Under RCN rules, nurses are only permitted to take industrial action that is not harmful to patient care.
One form of industrial action that may be considered is for nurses to stop working unpaid overtime, a move that would have staggering financial consequences for the NHS. Currently, around 173,000 nurses work an average of more than six hours unpaid overtime. This equates to over one million hours of unpaid overtime in the NHS each week.
The RCN estimates the difference between the staged and unstaged pay award is around £60 million. If nurses withdraw their goodwill and call a halt to working unpaid overtime, the NHS would be obliged to provide cover through agency or bank nurses. This would cost a minimum of £13 million every week. In a little over four weeks, the NHS would have to spend as much onpayingbank and agency staff as it would have cost the Government to pay theunstaged deal recommended by the Pay Review Body.
Speaking following today's historic decision RCN General Secretary, Dr Peter Carter, said;
“Today's decision by Council was not arrived at lightly, but there are only so many times nurses can be asked to accept the unacceptable. Nurses are dedicated public servants who work hard and play by the rules. So, when we end up in a situation where nurses are forced to talk about industrial action, then we know that they have been pushed to the limit. This is a ludicrous position to find ourselves in and I urge the government to meet with us immediately to resolve this situation”
Ends
Notes to Editors
For further information, interviews or illustrations please contact the RCN Media Office on 0207 647 3633, press.office@rcn.org.uk or visit http://www.rcn.org.uk/news/mediacentre.php
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.
· In 1995, the RCN adopted a new Rule which protects patient care, but allows its members to take limited industrial action. Rule 12 of the Rules of the Royal College of Nursing states:
"It is a fundamental principle of the College that its members shall not act in any way which is detrimental to the well being or interests of their patients or clients."
· Council has voted in favour of authorising a ballot for industrial action on four occasions. Each of these occasions related to local disputes. This is the first time RCN Council has authorised a national ballot.
· Forms of industrial action considered in previous disputes have included refusing to work overtime and working to contract.