NHS Together Unions attend launch Pay Review Body evidence

31st October 2007

Unite the UK’s largest trade union will today emphasise their commitment to securing a pay rise for NHS staff at above inflation at the launch of the NHS Pay Review Body evidence.

Last year the Government publicly intervened in the independent Pay Review Body process to try and cap salary increases at 2%. The recommendation was for 2.5% but the Government staged it in England so that its value was 1.9%.

By trying to set the pay of staff in the NHS below the rate of inflation, the government has seriously misjudged the levels of morale in the NHS and the implications for recruiting and retaining key staff.

In a survey of 25,000 people 61% said that motivation and morale was worse than last year, 41% said they have experienced some level of violence or abuse at work in the past year and 60% of staff had considered leaving their current position - 57% of these said they had considered leaving the NHS to take up a position outside of healthcare.

Unite is campaigning to secure a 35 hour working week for NHS staff, 4,000 new Health Visitors and a commitment to end violence against staff.

Kevin Coyne, Unite Head of Health says,

“It is important to invest in and retain high quality, highly skilled staff and this should be reflected in the pay recommendation. Motivated staff are integral to improved service delivery and should be recognised and rewarded as such; not treated as a budgetary burden. Holding down pay will simply undermine the drive to improve services by decreasing morale and making it harder to attract and retain staff.”

“Unite fully support the independence of the NHSPRB and believe a repeat intervention by the Government would be extremely detrimental to the Review Body process and staff morale.”