Nurses in Scotland have voted to just accept a brand new NHS pay provide however have warned that strike motion shouldn’t be totally off the desk.
A consultative poll put to Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members in Scotland on 28 February ended on Monday at 9am with 53.4% voting to just accept the provide.
Scottish midwives represented by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) additionally voted in a poll, with 49% of their members collaborating and 69% of them voting to just accept the deal.
Last week, Unison and GMB unions additionally voted to just accept the provide.
The provide by the Scottish authorities entails £568m to fund a pay rise for NHS workers, together with nurses and midwives, subsequent 12 months for a median 6.5% improve within the 2023/24 monetary 12 months.
As properly because the pay rise, workers will obtain a one-off fee of between £387 and £939 this 12 months.
The RCN had warned of extra strikes if members voted in opposition to the deal.
Read extra: Who is hanging and when?
With simply over 50% of eligible members collaborating within the nurses’ poll, and solely 53.4% of them voting in favour, the RCN acknowledged {that a} “significant minority” voted to reject the provide.
It referred to as this a “demonstration of your continued frustration and concern about the nursing workforce crisis facing Scotland’s NHS”.
Strike motion shouldn’t be totally off the desk, nevertheless, as RCN Scotland mentioned it’s contemplating the element of the pay provide for NHS workers in England and the implications for pay in Scotland, whether it is accepted.
Health is a devolved matter so every UK nation is answerable for its personal NHS funding.
If a proposal in England ends in further funding coming to the Scottish authorities for NHS pay for the present 2022/23 12 months the union mentioned it “will immediately demand that the Scottish government act on the re-opening clause agreed with the RCN as part of the roadmap to dispute resolution”.
Colin Poolman, director of RCN Scotland, mentioned: “This is not the end, we will continue the fight for fair pay and safe staffing.
“The Scottish authorities must be underneath no phantasm; rather more is required for nursing workers to really feel valued and to make sure Scotland has the nursing workforce it wants.
“They must live up to their promises.
“The Agenda for Change framework have to be modernised to recognise the scientific abilities and experience of nursing workers and additional enhancements to pay, phrases and situations are wanted within the years forward.”
Julie Lamberth, chair of the RCN Scotland’s board, mentioned “the chronic staff shortages and low morale that led to the strike mandate are still very real”.
She urged the incoming first minister to take heed to nurses and recognise their contribution.
Jaki Lambert, RCM director for Scotland, mentioned: “This is a good offer that gives our members most of what they had been asking for, including an above-inflation pay award and a commitment to reform of NHS pay bands.”
She mentioned the disagreement was additionally about midwives feeling seen and valued, and most significantly “being prepared to take action to ensure better care for women, babies and their families”.
In January, Scottish RCN nurses paused strike motion after the federal government made a proposal, which was then put to members.
At the top of February, additional nurses strikes in England had been paused as RCN leaders bought across the desk with authorities ministers.
On 16 March, ministers provided a brand new deal on nurses pay and situations in England in addition to a one-off fee for the present monetary 12 months.
RCN England members are at present being balloted on the deal.
Source: information.sky.com”