Health unions have been left with a bitter taste in their mouths.
The Health Secretary has reportedly told health unions that already exhausted NHS workers must increase their productivity to “justify” a pay rise.
A meeting between Health Secretary Steve Barclay and health unions today has left a bitter taste in the mouth of negotiators.
According to Unite negotiator Onay Kasab, Mr Barclay told union representatives that NHS staff would need to “justify” a payment through increased productivity.
Mr Kasab criticised Mr Barclay for comparing NHS workers to a factory and said it was clear he wanted NHS workers “to give more in order for it to consider a payment” despite them already working “well beyond their contracted hours”.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is reportedly considering a one-off hardship payment rather than increasing pay in line with inflation.
Bitterly disappointing.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) called the 45-minute meeting with Mr Barclay “bitterly disappointing” and criticised his unwillingness to discuss the current pay dispute.
The Health Secretary was insistent that there was no room for negotiation as NHS budgets are already set.
RCN Director of Employment Relations and Legal Services Joanne Galbraith-Marten, said: “There is no resolution to our dispute yet in sight.
“Today’s meeting was bitterly disappointing – nothing for the current year and repeating that ‘the budget is already set’ for next year.
Ms Galbraith-Marten concluded, “This intransigence is letting patients down. Ministers have a distance to travel to avert next week’s nurse strike.”
NHS strikes planned for later this month will go ahead.
