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RCN Scotland pay ballot now closed
RCN representative members in Scotland will shortly be considering the next steps after the pay ballot closed at 5pm today (4 August).
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The full result of the ballot will be received shortly.
In the coming week RCN Scotland Board, RCN Trade Union Committee and RCN Council will consider the next steps based on the result of the ballot, before meeting the joint health trade unions on Friday 12 August.
The result of this ballot will not authorise industrial action. A statutory ballot is a legal requirement before industrial action can take place. If the pay offer is rejected and there is significant support for industrial action, RCN Scotland Board, RCN Trade Union Committee and RCN Council will consider all options, including the possibility of proceeding to a statutory ballot for industrial action.
Commenting after the close of the ballot, Julie Lamberth, RCN Scotland Board Chair, said:
“I want to sincerely thank every member who voted in the pay ballot as well as every RCN Scotland rep and member who helped to promote the ballot right across Scotland.
“Personally, as I’ve said throughout the ballot period, I believe enough is enough and we must go back to Scottish government to say the current offer is well below what we expect and deserve. But we’ll consider very carefully what you, our members, have told us through your votes and what the next steps should be. We’ll keep members updated about the result of the pay ballot and the next steps.
“The funding of our NHS and care services is a political decision, as is paying a fair wage for safety critical work. Too often we are unable to provide the level of care we want to because of staffing shortages. The consequences are felt by patients in hospitals, residents in care homes, their families and the staff who have to live with knowing that while they did their best, it often wasn’t as good as they wanted it to be. A pay rise that goes significantly above inflation is crucial to the recruitment and retention of skilled nursing staff now and in the future.”
In the coming week RCN Scotland Board, RCN Trade Union Committee and RCN Council will consider the next steps based on the result of the ballot, before meeting the joint health trade unions on Friday 12 August.
The result of this ballot will not authorise industrial action. A statutory ballot is a legal requirement before industrial action can take place. If the pay offer is rejected and there is significant support for industrial action, RCN Scotland Board, RCN Trade Union Committee and RCN Council will consider all options, including the possibility of proceeding to a statutory ballot for industrial action.
Commenting after the close of the ballot, Julie Lamberth, RCN Scotland Board Chair, said:
“I want to sincerely thank every member who voted in the pay ballot as well as every RCN Scotland rep and member who helped to promote the ballot right across Scotland.
“Personally, as I’ve said throughout the ballot period, I believe enough is enough and we must go back to Scottish government to say the current offer is well below what we expect and deserve. But we’ll consider very carefully what you, our members, have told us through your votes and what the next steps should be. We’ll keep members updated about the result of the pay ballot and the next steps.
“The funding of our NHS and care services is a political decision, as is paying a fair wage for safety critical work. Too often we are unable to provide the level of care we want to because of staffing shortages. The consequences are felt by patients in hospitals, residents in care homes, their families and the staff who have to live with knowing that while they did their best, it often wasn’t as good as they wanted it to be. A pay rise that goes significantly above inflation is crucial to the recruitment and retention of skilled nursing staff now and in the future.”
