Pay round 2012
The RCN and the joint trade unions have submitted evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body for the 2012/13 pay round.
NHS staff earning more than £21,000 face a second year pay freeze from April 2012, while those earning less than £21,000 are due to receive an award of £250.
The RCN highlights how nursing staff are facing rising inflation, fears about job security and their pensions and increasing workloads. On top of this the NHS faces reorganisation on an unprecedented scale.
The submission to the Pay Review Body makes clear that continued attacks on pay are unsustainable – they will only damage recruitment and retention – and ultimately the quality of care.
Read RCN evidence to the Pay Review Body (Word 63KB).
The Labour Market Review 2011 has also been submitted as part of the RCN evidence. This warns that the NHS risks not paying enough attention to workforce planning for the nursing profession. Nursing has an ageing workforce, yet not enough is being done to ensure sufficient numbers of well-trained, motivated, well-paid nurses in the future.
Read Labour Market Review 2011(PDF 2,768KB) [see how to access PDF files].
Read Staff side evidence to the Pay Review Body (Word (156KB).
In the staff side evidence, the RCN includes an academic paper highlighting the benefits of national pay determination and warning of the dangers of local pay bargaining and the erosion of the Agenda for Change agreement