Pay proposals 2008/09 to 2010/11

The Royal College of Nursing's Membership, Representation and Diversity Committee (MRDC) agreed to hold a consultation with members about the NHS pay proposals for 2008/09 to 2010/11.

The consultation, which was conducted via the organisation's network of boards and branches, has now closed. It ran from Friday 18 April to Wednesday 28 May 2008.

About the consultation

The consultation about the NHS pay proposals ended at 12:00 pm on Wednesday 28 May. Members were able to participate in the consultation as individuals or through their local branch. They were invited to complete a response form which was available online and in Word format. The word version of the response form (Word 627KB) is available for you to download, but please note the consultation has now closed.

The RCN made a number of documents available to members to help them consider the proposals:

Non-RCN documents

RCN documents

Summary of proposals

  • The proposed multi-year agreement is worth up to 7.99 per cent over the three years
  • The proposals are worth at least 7.6 per cent for all staff
  • For staff on band one, band five and the bottom points of band six, the proposals are worth up to 7.99 per cent. The reason for this slight difference is that these pay bands are to be restructured. For more information, you can download a spreadsheet showing the proposed annual increases for all spine points (Excel 88.5KB).
  • The NHS Pay Review Body's recommendation for a 2.75 per cent uplift in 2008/09 will be honoured in full by the Government
  • The proposed uplift for 2009/10 is 2.4 per cent. For 2010/11, it is 2.25 per cent
  • The deal on offer is the highest in the public sector. Teachers were offered 2.45 per cent in the first year of their three-year deal, and 7.05 per cent overall. Meanwhile, prison officers and soldiers have been given 2.2 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively. Hospital doctors are to receive 2.2 per cent
  • Local Government workers in England and Wales have received an offer of 2.45 per cent, whilst Local Government staff in Scotland have been offered a three-year deal with an award of 2.5 per cent in each year but no re-opener clause. Teachers in Scotland have received a three year deal, consisting of 2.3 per cent in year one, and 2.25 per cent in years two and three
  • The RCN has won a firm commitment to re-open negotiations if inflation rises sharply, the labour market changes significantly, or the profession experiences problems with recruitment and retention. This process would be overseen by the independent pay review body
  • Proposals to make changes to incremental points in bands one, five and six will benefit some of the lowest paid staff in the NHS and better reward nurses on bands five and six - the two bands where the bulk of our membership can be found. There are additional increases for those stuck at the top of band five (25 per cent of staff on band five are on the top point) and some for those on the bottom of band six
  • Staff on the bottom two points of band four and below (points 1-13), which include the RCN's lowest paid health care assistant members, will also benefit from a flat rate increase of £420 (inclusive of the 2.25 per cent) in the final year
  • The parties involved in the negotiations have also agreed a revised trade union facilities agreement (Word 105KB). This provides a UK-wide framework for time off for union representatives. It builds on the Agenda for Change agreement and goes beyond the basic legal entitlement of 'reasonable time off for trade union duties'.

Commentary

The Royal College of Nursing negotiated hard to get an award that is fair, that closes the gap between its members and other public sector staff, and that offers protection against future rises in inflation.

RCN negotiators believe the proposed package does just that. Given the uncertain economic climate and the Government's tough stance on public sector pay, the 7.99 per cent package is better than expected.

When the RCN and other NHS trade unions submitted evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body in October 2007, the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, made it clear that pay for public sector staff, including nurses, should not exceed the Government's inflation target for the comprehensive spending round 2008/9 - 2010/11 of 2 per cent per year. The RCN position right from the start was that this was not acceptable and we wanted to secure a significant above inflation pay award for nursing staff to reflect increasing living costs for nurses and to redress the position last year when a below award was staged in England.
 
The Prime Minister re-emphasised the Government's approach to the 2008/9 pay round in January 2008 saying, "inflation must be beaten and to do this public sector pay rises must be capped at 2% or less. Where "recommendations are higher than 2 per cent this will be rejected" (6 January).  The Government also suggested on 8 January that they would like to see salaries set over three years rather than one.  As late as January,  the Government was holding hard to its inflation target of 2 per cent.

RCN negotiators have worked extremely hard to achieve the best possible deal to put to members against this background of a very tough approach to public sector finances and an uncertain economy. The proposed agreement on NHS pay is the highest level of award so far.

More information