NHS pay: how unions in Scotland are advising nurses to vote

Two unions, Unison and Unite, have recommended that their members accept the deal.

“The final decision is always in the hands of our membership”

James O’Connell

Meanwhile, others, including the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), have made no recommendation either way on how their members should vote.

The Scottish Government announced earlier this week that it was putting forward a 5.5% consolidated pay rise for Agenda for Change staff in the country.

The one-year award, which will be backdated to 1 April 2024, is in line with the deal that was made in England and recommended by the NHS Pay Review Body.

Like previous years, Scotland has taken a different approach to the other UK countries and has held direct pay negotiations between the government, unions and employers.

This means that, unlike in England, the government in Scotland needs agreement from unions before implementing the offer.

The NHS unions in Scotland will now ballot their members on whether they think the offer is good enough before reporting back to the government.

The RCN’s consultation will run from Tuesday 27 August to Friday 20 September.

The college is making no recommendation on how its members should vote.

Addressing members, Julie Lamberth, chair of the RCN Scotland board, said: “It will be up to you, our members, to decide whether this offer meets your expectations.

“I would encourage you to review the detail of the offer and use your vote when the consultation opens on Tuesday 27 August.

“As the largest profession in the NHS we want to make sure our voice is heard so please, take five minutes to check that the contact and employment information the RCN has for you is correct.”

Meanwhile, Unison decided today that it was going to recommend that its members accept the offer.

Its ballot will run over the same period as the RCN’s, from Tuesday 27 August to Friday 20 September.

Unite also announced today that it would be advising its members to accept the offer.

“They must do better to ensure staff feel valued and are receiving fair pay uplifts on time”

Jaki Lambert

The date of its ballot, however, is yet to be confirmed.

James O’Connell, Unite lead negotiator for the health sector, said the union believed that the 5.5% offer was “the best negotiable under the present circumstances”.

“Unite will now initiate a ballot of our NHS Scotland membership and it will come with a recommendation to accept,” he added.

“The final decision is always in the hands of our membership who will ultimately decide whether the deal is credible and good enough.”

The GMB union is making no recommendation, but has pointed out to its members that the offer meets their minimum asks of being one year and above inflation.

Its ballot will start on Monday 26 August and end on Friday 20 September.

Speaking on 20 August, Karen Leonard, GMB organiser in NHS Scotland, said: “Our reps met this afternoon to discuss the offer when it was noted that our members had asked for a one-year deal that was above inflation.

“This offer meets those objectives and, given that, it is right that our members in the NHS decide our next step.”

Similarly, while making no recommendation on how they should vote, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has told its members that it thinks the deal is the best that can be negotiated.

However, it also cited frustration over the delays in the offer – which was due in April – being announced.

RCM’s director for Scotland, Jaki Lambert, said: “It has taken months of negotiations and pressure from the RCM and a lot of hard work in partnership with other Scottish trade unions to get this offer for our members.

“We are pleased that there has finally been an announcement and that the offer meets the above inflation ask of the RCM’s pay claim. We believe this offer is the best that can be achieved through negotiation in the current climate.

“However, we have told the Scottish Government time and time again that the delays have eroded the morale of hardworking midwives and maternity care assistants in Scotland, and they must do better to ensure staff feel valued and are receiving fair pay uplifts on time in the future.”

The RCM will run its ballot from Wednesday 28 August to Wednesday 18 September.