Nurses will maintain out for double-digit pay rise, says union chief

Pat Cullen, the overall secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), has referred to as on Health Secretary Stephen Barclay to restart pay negotiations with a double-digit pay rise.

RCN members can be balloted once more for strike motion on 23 May after the prevailing six-month mandate ran out in the beginning of the month.

Ms Cullen described hanging as one of many “hardest decisions”, and instructed The Sunday Times that contemporary negotiations had been wanted to forestall six extra months of motion.

“They [ministers] owe that to nursing staff not to push them to have to do another six months of industrial action right up to Christmas,” she stated forward of Sunday’s RCN congress in Brighton, telling Mr Barclay talks wanted to “start off in double figures”.

“It’s just not right for the profession,” she stated.

“It’s not right for patients. But whose responsibility is it to resolve it? It is this government.”

Ms Cullen had suggested members to just accept a proposal of 5%, however this was rejected regardless of being accepted by 14 different unions.

This was picked up by cupboard minister Grant Shapps responding to the contemporary demand for a double-figure pay hike.

Speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, he stated: “I discover this a really curious story certainly as a result of Pat Cullen only in the near past was encouraging her members to accept the pay rise that was placed on the desk.

“I thought this was a great settlement.

“It’s frankly reasonably complicated having inspired her members to just accept that deal she appears to now be coming again and saying the alternative.

“You have got to balance that with the rest of the public purse.”

A well being division supply added: “It is strange how quickly the RCN leader has changed her tune from recommending this pay deal, which she now refers to as an insult to nurses.”

An RCN spokesperson stated: “The negotiations covered two financial years which resulted in a consolidated NHS pay increase of 9%. When our members rejected that, it is clear they expect an offer into double figures.”

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Ms Cullen stated: “It’s not so long ago since the prime minister went on the media and very publicly said nurses are an exception,” she stated when requested why nurses warrant a bigger improve than different healthcare employees.

“I would totally agree with him… they should be made an exception because they are exceptional people.”

The psychological well being nurse, 58, from Co Tyrone, stated affected person security was “at the centre of everything that we do”.

“We will do nothing that will add further risk to the patients that we look after,” she stated, saying elevated pay would see nurses return to the career and ease a staffing disaster.

“The truth is that patient safety cannot be guaranteed on any day of the week. How could you guarantee patient safety when you have 47,000 nurses from your workforce every single day and night?”

She warned Rishi Sunak to not take her members evenly.

“Looking back on this pay offer, I may personally have underestimated the members and their sheer determination,” she stated.

“I think what I would be saying to the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, is ‘Don’t – don’t make that same mistake, don’t underestimate them’.

“Nurses consider it is their responsibility and their accountability as a result of this authorities just isn’t listening to them on how you can carry it [the NHS] again from the brink and the message to the prime minister is that they’re completely not going to blink first in these negotiations.”