Forcing PRB pay "deal" on staff will further deteriorate trust in Labour government
 
Unite, one of the UK's leading trade unions in the healthcare sector, has denounced the latest pay "deal" imposed by government.
Today's announcement of 3.3 per cent comes after months of scoping out what pay talks might look like and publicly stating that the government’s preference was for a multi-year deal.
With the RPI rate of inflation standing at 4.2 per cent, the pay increase amounts to substantial real terms pay cut. At a time when unions were calling for a restorative pay award to counteract years of below inflation increases, which has devalued roles and resulted in workers leaving the NHS in their thousands.
Instead, in an act of political cowardice and financial betrayal of NHS workers, they have decided to revert to the discredited Pay Review Body (PRB) recommendation.
Unite has a long-standing opposition to the PRB process and for the first time ever all but one of the other health unions joined Unite in entirely boycotting the process. Unite, and other major unions, are demanding an immediate return of direct negotiations over pay and conditions. 
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "It beggars belief that a Labour government should seek to ride roughshod over the health unions when deciding on NHS pay. For too long, NHS workers have been overworked, under paid and under valued.
 
"Today's announcement will simply increase the problems of low pay that has seen thousands of healthcare workers leave, worsening the recruitment and retention crisis in our NHS”
Unite is very concerned over rumours that there is a separate negotiated settlement separately for junior doctors.  No details exist, but if this is better than for Agenda for Change (AfC) staff, this is a major issue that will simply heighten anger in the sector and increase the risk of industrial action. Unite will not stand by and allow our members to become part of a two-tier system.
Unite national officer for health Richard Munn added: "The fact that the lowest paid staff were about to drop below the legal minimum wage highlights the absurdity of the pay situation.
 
“It is a major disappointment to our members that the discredited PRB has been resorted despite having no union input and while the unions have been ready to engage on detailed pay talks at the drop of a hat. 
 
"We will be consulting with our members on this once as we have full details of the nursing pay band announcement and further information on the structural reform plans. It is clear that the mandated and promised structural reform of the pay scales needs to be well funded and address all the pay problems or else members will be left with little option other than industrial action."