The union chief believes nursing staff would “lose too much” by rejecting the offer.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned that pay talks “will not be reopened” if its members decide to reject the current pay offer.
In an article published on the union’s website today, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Pat Cullen, says she believes nursing staff would “lose too much” by rejecting the offer.
Ms Cullen also claims the union never asked for 19% and brands these claims government “scare-mongering”. However, documents published by the union urging members to vote, cite their pay demands as “5% above RPI inflation” which peaked at 14.2% during the strike ballot.
She also tells members, this “is not the first offer, it’s the final offer” and cautions if she “believed the government was going to give more, the talks would still be ongoing.”
Ms Cullen goes on to explain, “negotiations work by compromise and agreement. We did not get everything and nor did the government… No union could enter negotiations and flatly say ‘no’ until you get everything you want. These talks will not be reopened if members reject this pay offer. ”
The union denies being pressured into recommending the deal to its members.
A ‘terrible’ deal.
The union has faced a significant backlash after recommending the offer to its members, with the RCN’s leadership now potentially facing a vote of no confidence. A snap survey of NursingNotes readers found that just 33% would vote to accept the deal when it is put to members.
RCN members will get to vote on the pay deal in the coming weeks.
Figures suggest the deal would still leave experienced nurses around £4,000 worse off in real-terms than in 2008.
Grassroots campaign group Nurses United have dubbed the deal “terrible” warning it only adds to the 12 years of real terms pay cuts.
Lead organiser Anthony Johnson said, “After 12 years of patients struggling to get treatment because of a lack of staff and 12 years of nurses skipping meals and crying at work, we’re being offered another terrible deal which cuts NHS pay in real terms.
“This will do nothing to stop the thousands of staff leaving. This does nothing to reward staff for the work they put in day after day to keep things afloat.
“We need to restore our pay back to the real terms levels it was in 2010. That’s the only thing that will improve staffing levels which is so necessary to bring our NHS back to safety.
The group went on to ask that NHS workers “reject this pay cut”.
