Healthcare workers in Northern Ireland are to vote on a new pay deal aimed at restoring pay parity with England, following months of industrial action. The proposed settlement includes a 5% uplift and a one-off payment of £1,505, with unions expected to ballot their members on the offer. Unions such as Unison, which represents thousands of workers, hope this pay deal will end strike action but are prepared for further strikes if necessary. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) welcomed the progress made but expressed their disappointment that the one-off payment fell short of those given to nurses in England. Last year, nurses in England were offered a 5% pay rise and a one-off payment of at least £1,655.
Patrick Mulholland of NIPSA called the proposed pay deal a “considerable step forward” but highlighted that there are still “loose ends that are not tied up”. The RCN recognised the progress made by the Health Minister Robin Swann reacting swiftly to the crisis, but pointed out that the pay parity with England still leaves NI healthcare workers in third place behind Scotland and Wales. The RCN will consult members on the proposed pay settlement shortly. Unite, however, has encouraged its members to accept this offer and end the pay dispute as it ensures pay parity with NHS workers in England and Wales while also addressing safe staffing.
The Northern Ireland Health Minister, Robin Swann, also praised the “constructive negotiations” that have taken place with trade unions to reach a pay settlement. He said pay settlements for 2023/24 were “long overdue, having been delayed by political and budgetary instability,” adding that pay would be backdated to April 2023. The absence of devolved government and the decision of the Secretary of State to withhold funding deeply frustrated healthcare workers, according to the Unison spokesperson. The proposed pay deal represents the first rung in the ladder for public sector pay, according to Mulholland from NIPSA, but there is still a long way to go in addressing the cost-of-living crisis.
The proposed pay deal follows a mass strike on 18 January which saw nursing staff, midwives, healthcare workers, and other public sector workers taking part in the largest strike in Northern Ireland in 50 years. The result of the proposed ballot would see junior doctors taking part in a 24-hour walkout from 6 to 7 March. Health workers have been demanding a pay deal that reflects their invaluable contribution to the healthcare sector, which has been further undermined by the COVID-19 pandemic
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