Now is the time to raise your voice

We are keen to know what you as our members really think about the NHS pay award and whether you would consider taking industrial action in protest.

Let us be under no illusion, the choice to make such a poor award is purely political. And we should not forget that MPs themselves received a £2,200 pay rise this year. In fact, they have had eight pay rises in 10 years, while nursing salaries have been slashed in real terms. At the same time, you are struggling to pay for fuel for your cars and are in effect paying for the privilege of working for the NHS. And yet the government claim to be “levelling up.”

Now is the time to raise your voice. The first thing to do is to check that your home address, your employer, your workplace and your job category are correct on MyRCN.

This is also a good time to read the RCN Industrial Action Handbook; and watch our industrial action explainer. With our industrial action strike ballot opening on 15 September, it would be informative to find time to look at these resources before casting your vote.

It is important to let us know what you think. If you believe that enough is enough, it may be that you would support industrial action. But, if you believe that industrial action is not the right course of action, then you should let us know too. The RCN is its members, so it is important that we have the views of as many of you as possible so that RCN Council have a clear mandate of the next steps.

Pay cannot be divorced from safe staffing. Our last shift survey told us that 83% of you had worked in areas that were short of staff. We have heard about the impact this has upon your stress levels and the care you are able to offer to those patients. This is unsafe, unsustainable and unacceptable.

Please be clear: the RCN would never advocate any industrial action that would cause harm to patients. We would collaborate with the employers to ensure that although there would be disruption, as is the purpose of industrial action, patient safety would remain paramount throughout. A way of ensuring this is through derogations, which are an exemption provided to a member or service from taking part in industrial action to preserve patient safety. In 2019, derogations were used during the RCN’s first ever strike action in Northern Ireland to ensure no adverse incidents occurred during the industrial action.

When thinking of how you may vote, consider too the implications of receiving an above-inflation pay rise and what this could do for your quality of life. It is reasonable to expect to be able to afford to eat and heat your home. A holiday is not a luxury but a necessity when you work in such a stressful occupation. Being able to afford a reliable car and to be able to have new shoes when you need them should be something that nursing staff can afford to do, not something they aspire to do. The wider context is that nursing would be more attractive to returners, to those that considering leaving the profession, and to potential new recruits, if only it paid fairly.

The RCN recommends voting in favour of industrial action. But, whatever you think, now is the time to make your voice heard and let us know your views.

Please use your vote; the future of nursing depends upon it.