Monday 13 October - NHS Pay Strike

Friday, 10th October 2014

In the first pay strike by NHS staff in more than 30 years, there will be a four hour walkout on Monday 13 October 2014 over the Government’s decision to deny them a one per cent pay rise. The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) will be participating in its first strike action since it was founded in 1881.

The dispute involves more than 400,000 NHS staff, who have been hit by pay freezes or below-inflation rises since the Coalition came to power in 2010. Ministers say a universal pay rise would be unaffordable and result in the loss of 6,000 nursing jobs. The unions stressed that staff would continue to provide “life and limb cover” and that emergency care would not be targeted. Unions are protesting at the Government’s decision not to accept an independent pay review body’s recommendation to award a 1 per cent pay rise to all staff. Instead, ministers decided to give a 1 per cent pay rise only to those on top of their pay band, which the unions say has denied the 1 per cent increase to 60 per cent of NHS workers.

Christina McAnea, national officer of Unison, said: “Up and down the country, hundreds of thousands of workers are out fighting for fair pay and for the NHS. The fact that so many unions representing a range of NHS workers are taking action should send a clear message to the Government. The NHS relies on the good will of its workers, but we know that a demotivated workforce is bad for patients. “The Government needs to start negotiating with us and reconsider their pay policy.”

The strike will be followed by four days of working to rule. This means staff will not be doing unpaid overtime and will be taking their breaks. What happens next as a result of these actions is much anticipated.

The BBC will be broadcasting as-it-happens-updates on the strike: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29592260