Poll shows public support for nurses as historic pay ballot gets underway

Published: 24 August 2007

Three quarters (74%) of the general public would support NHS nurses taking some form of industrial action over pay, provided it did not affect patient care, according to an independent survey commissioned for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). The YouGov poll of more than 2000 adults in Great Britain also found the public overwhelming believe this year's pay award for nurses is unfair. The findings are being released as nurses start voting in the RCN's first ever national indicative[1] ballot on pay.

For the first time in its history, the RCN is asking nearly 200,000 of its members who work in the NHS in England whether they wish to balloted on industrial action over this year's pay award. The indicative ballot comes after the government chose to ignore the independent Pay Review Body, which recommended nurses receive a 2.5% pay award in full. The government's insistence on paying the award in two instalments reduces its value to 1.9% - a real terms pay cut for nurses, who are already the worst paid professional group in the public sector.

Dr Peter Carter, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said “At the RCN's annual Congress in April nurses voiced their anger, frustration and disappointment at the government's decision to short change them by staging this year's pay deal.

“Nurses are not demanding sky-high inflation busting increases in their pay, just the 2.5% an independent review body said they should receive. Now they have the chance to send a clear message to ministers that nurses deserve fair pay, not the pay cut in instalments the government is proposing. Without a fair pay deal for nurses we can not expect to attract much needed new blood to the profession, let alone keep those more experienced nurses in the health service.

“Day in, day out, nurses are there for their patients - they will be heartened to know that they can count on the general public for support at this difficult time. I want to reassure everyone that this is not a course of action we take lightly and the safety of patients remains our number one concern. We hope the government will talk and work with us so industrial action can be avoided.”

More than 2,300 people from across Great Britain took part in a YouGov poll with 74 percent of those surveyed saying they would support NHS nurses taking some form of workplace action, provided it did not affect patient care, while 82 percent of those surveyed said they believed this year's pay award for nurses is unfair.

RCN members working in the NHS in England will receive their ballot papers from today, asking them two questions. Firstly, if the RCN should hold a formal ballot on industrial action to achieve the goal of the government paying the recommended 2.5% in full backdated to 1^st April 2007. Secondly, to say what type of industrial action would be appropriate in their workplace – bearing in mind that RCN rules clearly state that “members will not act in any way that is detrimental to the well being or interests of their patients or clients.”

Forms of industrial action that might be considered include refusing to work unpaid overtime either before or after a shift, refusing to change shifts at short notice, insisting on taking breaks to comply with the Working Time Directive and refusing to attend non patient related meetings.

RCN members working in the NHS in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have already been promised the full 2.5% pay award and are not being asked to take part in the indicative ballot. In March the former Labour-led Scottish Executive agreed to give nurses working for the NHS in Scotland their 2.5 percent pay award in full, from April, and earlier this month Welsh Assembly Health Minister Edwina Hart AM announced Wales would do the same. Last week the Northern Ireland Executive also decided to implement the independent Pay Review Body's recommendation of a 2.5% pay award for nurses in full, backdated to 1^st April 2007.

Dr Carter added: “Our members are delighted that nurses in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland will now receive their pay award in full, but nurses in England will still be left out in the cold because they continue to be offered a lower pay deal.”

The indicative ballot will close at noon on Monday 6 August with the result expected to be announced the following week. The RCN's ruling council will then decide whether or not to proceed to a formal ballot on industrial action in September and what form any future industrial action might take.

-ends-

Notes to editors

For further information, interviews or illustrations please contact the RCN Media Office on 020 7647 3633, press.office@rcn.org.uk or visit http://www.rcn.org.uk/news/mediacentre.php

RoyalCollege 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.

YouGov surveyed 2352 adults in Great Britain between 11-14^th May 2007 on behalf of the Royal College of Nursing.

· In 1995, the RCN amended its Rule 12 to allow industrial action but to ensure patient protection remains. 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."

· The RCN's ruling council has voted in favour of authorising a ballot for industrial action on four occasions. Each of these occasions related to local disputes and were resolved without a ballot having taken place. This is the first time RCN Council has authorised a national ballot.

[1] Often unions hold an indicative ballot on industrial action. This is not a legal requirement and indicative ballots are commonly used to assess the strength of feeling of workers about a particular issue. The ballot normally asks the worker to decide if he or she would be prepared to be formally balloted on taking industrial action.