Royal College of Nursing in Northern Ireland to join January strike action over lack of pay award

Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Northern Ireland will join thousands of public sector workers in strike action on 18 January 2024.

The union's NI director, Rita Devlin told UTV politicians in Northern Ireland have a responsibility to look after the health service and she believes they "have failed in their role".

In December 2023, the UK government offered a financial package of £3.3bn to political parties in Northern Ireland for the return of devolution - £584m of which was to be allocated to address public sector pay issues.

Talks between Secretary of State, Chris Heaton-Harris and Northern Ireland's political leaders concluded at Hillsborough Castle before Christmas without any agreement to restore the Executive and Assembly.

During those talks, the five main political parties in Northern Ireland argued the pay awards for public sector workers should not be attached to Stormont's return.

Strike action on 18 January will involve public sector workers across the civil service, education and health, and is expected to be the "biggest ever seen" in Northern Ireland.

On Friday, the RCN issued a statement to UTV which said its board met on Thursday to discuss the UK government's financial package and lack of agreement between parties and "has come to the conclusion that our members’ patience has now been exhausted, particularly since the money is available to make this pay award, which our members richly deserve."

Northern Ireland RCN Director, Rita Devlin said "it is nothing short of immoral that we have been put in this position once again and are the lowest paid nursing staff in the UK.

"What an indictment on how we treat health care workers and the value we place on them.

“Just this week our emergency departments, once again, have been struggling to cope with the numbers of very sick patients who need treatment. And who are we depending upon to meet that challenge?" Ms Devlin added.

“Low pay is making it very difficult to retain nursing staff in the health service and we are not willing to tolerate this any longer.

"Patients and staff are suffering every single day due to the lack of political movement which not only affects pay but prevents the transformation of services that has been needed for years. We have no choice but to take further action.”

On Thursday, the DUP told UTV it "fully supports the principle of pay parity between health and social care staff in Great Britain and Northern Ireland" but that a pay award should not only be delivered for this year, but rather on the basis that Northern Ireland has "sustainable financial resources to ensure that fair pay can also be delivered in future years as well".

Meanwhile on Friday, a spokesperson from the Northern Ireland Office said: “The Secretary of State’s talks on stabilising the finances of a returning Executive with the four parties eligible to form the Northern Ireland Executive have now concluded."The fair and generous package offered by the UK Government is worth over £3bn, including up to £584m to address public sector pay, and more than £1bn to stabilise Northern Ireland’s public services."The Secretary of State has expressed his disappointment that a new executive was not up and running to take this offer and deliver it for the people of NI before Christmas."However, this package is on the table and will remain there, available on day one of an incoming Northern Ireland Executive to take up.“It is now for the NI Parties to come together, restore the Executive and begin to address the challenges facing the people of Northern Ireland, including public sector pay.”

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