Health unions are doing all they can to ensure strikes are a last resort.
Nursing staff will call off their planned Christmas strikes if the government joins the negotiating table.
According to a report in the Guardian, Royal College of Nursing boss Pat Cullen yesterday pledged to “press pause” on the planned strikes if Health Secretary Steve Barclay “says he will negotiate seriously”.
According to Ms Cullen, the Health Secretary has already turned down her offer to negotiate five times already – meaning the union is doing all it can to ensure strikes are a last resort.
Nursing staff across the UK voted for strike action earlier this year following a decade of real-terms pay cuts. It means the most experienced frontline nurses are now around £10,000 per year worse off today than in 2010.
The report claims that health unions are ready to compromise on their 5% above-inflation pay deamdn to sign a deal for their members.
Ignoring NHS workers.
The RCN revealed it had only had two meetings with Mr Barclay, and on both occasions, he refused to discuss pay. They claim to have had absolutely no communication with Mr Barclay’s department for a week.
“Negotiate with nurses and avoid this strike… Five times my offer to negotiate has been turned down”, Ms Cullen explained.
She added: “I will press pause on it when the health secretary says he will negotiate seriously on our dispute this year. That means each of us giving some ground.
“He gains nothing by ignoring the representatives of the NHS workforce. The public blames government for this dire situation, and they have to face up to it. A swift change of tactics will pay off for all concerned.”
Strikes in Scotland have already been suspended after an offer of £2,450 for most registered nurses was tabled.
