RCN launches consultation with members on Government’s pay offer
Published: 24 August 2007
The ruling body of the Royal College of Nursing, RCN Council, today launched a consultation with NHS members in England on the Government’s pay offer for nurses. The consultation gets underway as the RCN releases the results of its indicative ballot of members on the staging of this year’s pay award.
More than 95 per cent[i] of nurses who returned their ballot papers said that they wanted the RCN to go ahead with a ballot on industrial action. However, during the ballot process, despite saying that there was no further room for negotiation, the Government improved the offer for NHS staff working in England[ii].
The RCN are now asking their members to feed back their views on this improved offer. Members will be encouraged to engage with their regional RCN representatives and Council members and will also be able to email their individual views via a dedicated website. The consultation process will culminate in a special delegates’ conference in September when RCN Council will consider members’ views, together with the results of the indicative ballot, before deciding whether to accept this year’s pay offer on behalf of members.
General Secretary of the RCN, Dr Peter Carter, said:
“The Government’s original offer was unfair and unacceptable. For the first time in our history, the RCN responded by holding a national ballot about industrial action. After months of the Government saying they wouldn’t improve the offer, they did. The revised offer is not all that we asked for, but itcould well be the means to resolve the current dispute and allowus tomake progresson a range of workplace and professional issues. It is clear, however, that this is a full and final offer from the Government.”
Chair of the RCN’s Membership, Representation and Diversity Committee, Mike Travis, said:
“The ballot result shows just how fed up nurses were with the original pay award. What we now need to do is go back to members and gauge their response to this improved offer before Council makes its final decision whether to accept the award in September.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
For further information, interviews 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.
[i] The indicative ballot of NHS nurses working in England ran between the 16th July and the 6th August. Members were asked if they wished to go ahead with a formal ballot for industrial action. 34,018 ballot papers were returned (a response rate of 18.49%) with 95.1% voting to move forward with a formal ballot for industrial action.
[ii] The offerwould see nursesreceiving a 50% contribution towards the cost ofprofessional fees each year up until 2010.Low-paid staff on bands three and four who earn between £14,453 and £19,730 would also receive a one-off payment this year of £38. In addition to the improved pay offer for this year, unions, employers and governments have agreed to enter into talks prior to the next pay round, to consider a possible multi-year deal includingimprovements tothe Agenda for Change pay structure and its terms and conditions.