Union urges members in England and Wales to reject real-terms pay cut. Workers also balloted for industrial action.
 
Unite, one of Britain's biggest health unions, has begun balloting its NHS members over the recent below-inflation pay award from the government.
 
The union, which represents staff working across the NHS in almost every professional group has urged members to reject the insultingly low 3.6 per cent award. It is also balloting members on whether they would be prepared to take strike action.
 
The pay award is below the rate of inflation, with RPI sitting 4.5 per cent in April. The increase is less than doctors and dentists, who have been awarded four per cent along with an additional £750 increase.  The increase is also lower than Scotland NHS pay award where workers were awarded 4.25 per cent for 2025/26 and 3.75 per cent for 2026/27 with a guarantee this is 1 per cent above the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
 
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "The NHS is suffering a huge staffing crisis, thousands are leaving the service and those who remain are pushed to breaking point. Yet the government's answer is a substandard award that is below inflation and is an insult to NHS staff.
 
“This offer does nothing to address low pay in the NHS which hovers perilously close to the legal minimum. How can this possibly be fair or begin to improve staffing in the NHS?"
 
The 3.6 per cent award fails to be restorative or combat the years of pay austerity. Since 2010 staff have lost between a third and a half of their pay in real terms.
 
Unite national officer for health Richard Munn added: "This offer makes a mockery of the PRB system. It is below what medics received and is below what staff doing the same roles in Scotland received. 
 
“The government needs to get the health unions around the negotiating table and come back with an improved award or they will witness the anger of our members."
 
The ballot for Welsh NHS staff opens on 9th June and the ballot for English NHS workers on 16th June.  The ballots will be open for three and four weeks respectively.
 
Should staff reject the award and vote for industrial action, Unite will announce dates and locations in due course.