NHS workers stage four-hour strike in pay row

The Department of Health have dismissed union claims that the majority of NHS workers will miss out on a 1% pay increase.

Unions claim the Government rejected a 1% pay rise recommended by the independent NHS Pay Review Body for all NHS workers. They say the decision means 60% will now not even receive a 1% increase.

Dismissing the claims, the DoH said:

• The 55% of NHS staff not receiving a 1% rise would get an incremental increase averaging 3% and increasing to 6% for the highest.
• The remaining 45% will receive a 1% rise this year followed by a 2% increase in 2015.

The department added that Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt met with trade unions last week.

More than 12,000 NHS workers went on strike today in a row over pay, NHS England figures suggest.

Initial reports showed that out of 453,664 staff due to attend work this morning, 12,303 were absent.

That is 3% or one in 30 in comparison to 4.6% during the strike action in October.

The row over NHS pay will continue until next May unless fresh talks are agreed, unions have warned.

Linda Perks, Unison's London regional secretary, said they expected the Government's approach to remain unchanged next year, meaning 60% of staff would continue to be denied a pay rise.

She said: "It's like a game of snakes and ladders because health workers will be back to pay levels of 2013, forcing them to work overtime or take out loans.

"The pay campaign will continue because we simply cannot afford to back off."

More than 400,000 NHS workers are expected to join picket lines across the country today after they were refused a 1% pay rise by the Government.

Members of 11 unions are striking in England and Northern Ireland. The action will be followed by work to rule for the rest of the week.

Unions have accused the Government of lying over NHS pay as health workers across the country take to the picket lines.

The Government said it had put forward plans to guarantee all staff would get at least 1% this year and next, but they had been rejected by the unions.

Unison leader Dave Prentis said: "It's ludicrous that the Government is keeping up the pretence that all staff are getting a 1% pay rise, and it doesn't matter how often they say it; it's simply not true."

He said the 1% pay rise recommended by the independent NHS Pay Review Body for all NHS workers had been rejected by the Government.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "NHS staff are our greatest asset and we want to make the current pay system fairer - which is why we have put forward proposals that would guarantee all staff would get at least a 1% pay rise this year and next, but these have been rejected by the unions.

"We have taken tough decisions to increase the NHS budget, but we can't afford a consolidated pay rise in addition to increments without risking 10,000 frontline jobs."

"Robust plans" are in place to protect patients during a four-hour strike by thousands of health workers today, NHS England said.

Around 150 police officers will drive or help crew ambulances in London as part of the plans, with paramedics among those walking out in the row over pay.

NHS workers will stage a four-hour strike today in a row with the Government over pay.

Midwives, nurses, radiographers, paramedics and psychiatric staff will walk out from 7am in England and 8am in Northern Ireland in protest at the Government's refusal to accept a recommended 1% wage rise for all NHS employees.

Unison leader Dave Prentis said the second strike in a month should "sound alarm bells" in Westminster as the "anger is spreading".

A Department of Health spokesperson said the government "can't afford a consolidated pay rise in addition to increments without risking 10,000 frontline jobs".