Unite, the UK’s leading union, which represents tens of thousands of NHS workers, is calling on the government to ensure that all NHS workers are always paid above the minimum wage.
 
The union made its call after it became apparent that due to the current lack of a pay deal for NHS staff for this year, an emergency pay increase has to be applied to the lowest paid in order to ensure that pay remains above the legal minimum.
 

NHS Low paid workers

There are approximately 180,000 band 2 workers in England (healthcare support workers, domestics, porters, catering and some estates staff, etc) they are currently paid just £12.51 an hour. Northern Ireland also has a proportionate number of affected workers.
 
From 1 April the minimum wage will increase to £12.71. In order to remain legal band 2 workers will have to have an emergency pay increase. This is the third time the government has been forced to take this action since 2022, as pay has got so low.
 

Frontline staff on poverty pay

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It’s beyond belief that frontline NHS workers who risked their lives during the pandemic are so poorly paid that they are set to fall below the legal minimum rate.
 
“This sticking plaster approach, allowing the NHS to limp from pay crisis to pay crisis while vacancies go unfilled, must stop. If the government wants the NHS to turn around it needs to invest in the workforce.”
 

Distorted pay scales

To further complicate matters the lowest band 3 workers in the NHS are currently paid £12.75. These workers are frequently the supervisors of band 2 workers. Due to band 2 workers often receiving a larger unsocial hours payment than band 3s, (because of the nature of the work they undertake), there is the real likelihood that when the emergency pay increase is made to band 2 workers they will be on higher pay than many band 3 workers. Therefore, the government may also be forced to give an emergency pay uplift to some band 3 workers to ensure fairness.
 
NHS unions are desperate to have pay talks with the government. However, even if this were to happen, they are unlikely to conclude prior to 1 April, when the next pay rise is due and therefore there is not sufficient time to introduce the pay increase before the beginning of April.
 

Long-term solutions needed

Unite national officer for health Richard Munn said: “The government needs to work with unions to fix the NHS pay system for the long-term. It is broken and unfair to many workers. A failure to do so will result in key workers leaving.
 
“Our members are frustrated a pay increase will be delayed yet again, this is contrary the government’s positive statements. Constantly delaying pay increases only adds to the frustration and anger of staff who are overworked and undervalued.”
 
ENDS
Notes to editors:
 
For media enquiries ONLY please contact Unite senior communications advisor Barckley Sumner on 07802 329235.
 
Email: barckley.sumner@unitetheunion.org
 
Twitter: @unitetheunion Facebook: unitetheunion1 Instagram: unitetheunion Web: unitetheunion.org
 
Unite is the UK and Ireland’s leading union fighting to protect and advance jobs, pay and conditions for members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham