Nursing staff in Northern Ireland first took strike action in 2019 over safe staffing and pay. Action ceased when pay parity with the rest of UK was restored and the Northern Ireland Executive agreed a framework for safe staffing legislation. Since then, nursing staff in Northern Ireland have once again fallen out of pay parity with UK colleagues due to the lack of a functioning Executive.
New analysis by London Economics to coincide with the ballot launch shows pay for nurses has declined at twice the rate of the private sector in the last decade. Nurses’ real terms earnings have fallen by 6% compared to 3.2% for private sector employees.
RCN Northern Ireland Board Chair, Fiona Devlin commented: “Three years after taking strike action, nursing staff in Northern Ireland cannot believe that we are back in exactly the same position. Not only has nurses’ pay fallen behind other sectors, but our hard-working staff have not even received the same pay award that colleagues in England and Wales received last month. Unfortunately we believe we have no other choice but to take action.”
This is the first time in its 106-year history that the RCN has balloted members across the UK on strike action and it is urging them to vote in favour. The ballot closes on 2 November.
Rita Devlin, Director of the RCN in Northern Ireland added: “This is not a decision the RCN has taken lightly, however, our members are telling us that enough is enough. Nursing is a safety critical profession and the nursing workforce crisis will not be solved unless we begin to value and pay our staff fairly. It is despicable that nurses in Northern Ireland have once again fallen behind colleagues in the rest of the UK and are being paid less because of the political situation. We are repeatedly hearing reports of unsafe staffing levels and unsustainable pressures on all parts of our health service. This simply cannot continue.”
The College is inviting members of the public to co-sign a letter to the Prime Minister from RCN General Secretary & Chief Executive Pat Cullen which says: “On behalf of the nursing profession, I implore you to see sense. Protect nursing to protect the public.”
In a direct message today to all those set to receive ballot papers, Mrs Cullen writes:
“This is a once in a generation chance to improve your pay and combat the staff shortages that put patients at risk.
“Governments have repeatedly neglected the NHS and the value of nursing. We can change this if together we say ‘enough is enough’.
“Record numbers are feeling no alternative but to quit and patients pay a heavy price. We are doing this for them too.
“I have spoken with hundreds of you directly in recent weeks – it’s clear we need urgent change.
“Nursing is the best job in the world. Protect it with your vote.”
