It comes after the union recommended nurses accepted a below-inflation pay deal.
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members are to hold a vote of no confidence in their union over the proposed NHS pay deal.
A petition calling for the vote was launched just hours after the RCN advised its members to accept a 5% pay deal. The amount negotiated for NHS workers falls significantly short of the “above-inflation” calls touted since 2020 by health unions.
Created by former senior members of the union, the petition calls for members to have a vote of no confidence in the RCN’s senior leadership team, including Chief Executive and General Secretary Pat Cullen, alongside their pay negotiators and ruling Council.
One thousand members.
A statement from the petitioners confirmed the threshold had been met and condemned any personal attacks on elected members and executive staff.
They added, “The purpose of this petition was to give the membership a mechanism to express their level of confidence in the decision-makers of the Royal College of Nursing, following their recommendation to members to ‘accept’ this offer.
“The petition will remain open for members to continue to share and add their signatures to, as we now contact the Chair of Council to discuss the next steps and follow through with the mandate as set by the RCN membership.”
Voting on the deal.
The no-confidence vote is expected to take place during the union’s annual congress later this year.
Responding to the petition, a Royal College of Nursing spokesperson said: “Hundreds of thousands of nursing staff can vote from next week and tell the government what they think of the pay offer.
“That consultation is the right place to debate NHS pay and the RCN’s campaign. Our members can find out how the pay offer impacts them and vote accordingly.”
A vote on the proposed pay deal is planned for next week.
