NHS workers in GMB union accept government pay offer
ITV News politics reporter Amy Lewis with the latest updates on health workers' strike negotiations
NHS workers from the GMB union have accepted a government pay offer, meaning unions representing the majority of striking health workers have now backed the deal.
Government sources have suggested to ITV News this will allow ministers to push the 5% deal forward and pay it to NHS workers, even though some unions rejected the offer.
The NHS Staff Council will discuss the outcomes of the various union ballots next week and report back to the government before a final decision is made.
GMB's voting result comes after members of the union, Unite, rejected the 5% pay offer and signalled the possibility of a fresh wave of strikes.
Just over half of the health workers represented by GMB turned out to vote in the latest ballot, with 56% voting in favour of the pay offer.
The union's acceptance is a significant step forward in the pay dispute between the government and health workers, while it doesn't spell the end of industrial action.
But the government will now have enough union votes to get a majority on the council when it meets on Tuesday, which could result in the money being paid to all union workers.
However, a number have rejected the offer and pledge to continue industrial action.
Unite's rejection came after Members of the Society of Radiographers in England also turned down the offer, which comprises of a one-off payment for 2022/23 and a 5% pay rise for 2023/24.
Unison, the largest NHS union, also accepted the government's offer, which was put on the table by ministers in the hope of ending the long-running dispute over pay.
Earlier this week, the government pursued legal action against the Royal College of Nursing, claiming its planned strike starting this Sunday was unlawful.
The government won in the High Court, with a judge ruling that the end date of this weekend's walkout, originally planned to be 2 May, goes beyond the RCN's current mandate for strike action.
The union's general secretary, Pat Cullen, confirmed the walkout will be cut short, ending now on 1 May, telling broadcasters it was the "darkest day" of the dispute so far.
Shortly after their legal defeat, Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) declared an incident over staffing levels ahead of the strike by nurses this weekend.
The London children's hospital said it had "no choice", adding it "must protect" its patients.
The strike by the Royal College of Nursing union will take place from April 30 to May 1.
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