Unions recommends NHS workers accept Scottish Government pay offer

NHS workers are being urged to accept a 5.5% pay increase – with a union describing the offer from the Scottish Government as the “best negotiable” under current circumstances.

The Scottish Government tabled the offer, which is in line with that proposed in England, to NHS Scotland staff earlier this week. The deal could see almost 170,000 employees – including nurses, midwives, paramedics, allied health professionals, porters and others – receive a pay rise that would be backdated to April. Trade unions Unison and Unite are both now recommending their members accept the deal. With the package worth £448 million, Unite said that lowest-paid workers would get a £1,278 salary increase, and a new hourly rate of £12.71, if the offer is accepted. Unite, one of a number of trade unions which represent NHS staff in Scotland, is to ballot its members on the offer, but is recommending they accept. James O’Connell, Unite’s lead negotiator for the health sector, said it had been involved in “constructive discussions with the Scottish Government for a number of weeks to get a credible pay offer on the table for our valued NHS workers”. He added: “We believe that the current 5.5% offer is the best negotiable under the present circumstances and it represents an increase above inflation. “Unite will now initiate a ballot of our NHS Scotland membership and it will come with a recommendation to accept. “The final decision is always in the hands of our membership who will ultimately decide whether the deal is good enough.” Health Secretary Neil Gray has already said the proposed pay rise would “ensure Scotland’s nurses and NHS staff have the best pay package in the UK”. Unison will also put the deal to members in a ballot, but is recommending they accept it. Matt McLaughlin, the union’s lead on NHS confirmed: “Unison is recommending NHS staff accept the Scottish Government’s pay offer of 5.5%, it is above the current rate of inflation and is in line with wage lifts in many other parts of the UK.” However, he said it had taken “five months of campaigning” from trade unions for the pay deal to be put forward, adding that “making NHS staff wait for so long is deeply unfair”. Mr McLaughlin said: “This delay cannot be repeated at the next pay round. The Scottish Government must recognise that dithering on pay directly affects staff morale.”

Published: 23/08/2024 by Radio NewsHub