NHS staff council okays new deal for UK health workers even as some unions disagree 

The National Health Service (NHS) staff council has voted to accept the UK government’s new pay offer for the next two years, covering the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24. The decision followed negotiations between unions and health secretary Steve Barclay.

What’s the new deal?

The deal includes a 5 per cent consolidated pay rise for the current financial year and a one-off payment of between £1,655 ($2,292) and £3,789 ($5,230) for last year. Several unions, including Unison, and those representing midwives and physiotherapists, supported the deal, while Unite and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) planned to hold further protests.

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Although the decision means that the deal will be imposed on all 12 unions, including those opposing it, the move has not quelled industrial unrest. The RCN, for example, which undertook a 28-hour strike in England at the weekend, has threatened to escalate its action, although it needs to secure a new ballot to ensure that it has the necessary support under trade union law.

UK’s home secretary issues statement

Meanwhile, the UK’s health secretary now hopes that the new deal will bring the industrial action to an end. He said, “Where some unions may choose to remain in dispute, we hope their members – many of whom voted to accept this offer – will recognise this as a fair outcome that carries the support of their colleagues and decide it is time to bring industrial action to an end.”

The strikes have already led to the rescheduling of over 500,000 appointments and operations, while the issue of low pay in the sector remains contentious. Some unions have argued that the government’s pay offer does not recognise the “true value” of NHS workers.

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The continuing dispute highlights the complex and contested nature of healthcare labour relations. The healthcare workforce is highly diverse, with staff working across a range of professional and occupational groups, and their pay and working conditions are subject to numerous layers of negotiation and bargaining.

NHS workers have often argued that their pay and conditions do not reflect the value of their work, and that healthcare staff should receive comparable pay to those in other high-status professions, such as law or finance.

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