The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) yesterday rejected an 8% over three years pay-cutting NHS Pay Review Body offer, which is backed by the Brown government.
Commenting on the long-term pay deal for midwives and 1.2 million NHS workers, RCM general secretary, Dame Karlene Davis, said that that RCM would not recommend the long-term pay offer.
The Pay Review Body is recommending 2.75% for 2008/09. NHS staff have also been offered 2.4% for 2009/10 and 2.25% in 2010/11.
Davis said: ‘The RCM will accept an award from the Pay Review Body for 2008/09 because of our commitment to the independent process.
‘Last year in England, the recommendation was staged by the government.
‘The RCM believes that the proposed long-term settlement for the two years after the PRB recommendation represents a potential real-terms cut in the pay of staff in the NHS.
‘We are not prepared to recommend this to our members given trends in the economy and prospects for inflation.’
UNISON, the largest public sector union, welcomed the proposed pay deal.
The union said it will consult its members on the deal, which it said ‘includes a re-opener clause that will allow the pay increases in years two and three to be reviewed if inflation is higher than expected.’
A UNISON statement said that ‘those on the lowest point will receive an increase of 5.7%.’
It added that the deal ‘includes a flat rate increase of £420 (worth 3.17% at the lowest point) for the bottom three grades.’
UNISON Head of Health, Karen Jennings, said: ‘The proposed deal adheres to the pay review body recommendations and is the highest in the public sector.
‘It would set a new minimum wage of £6.77 an hour from next year and gives more money to nurses, midwives and paramedics stuck at the top of their grades.
‘It does offer pay stability over the next three years.
‘We will be asking our executive to consider recommending this deal to members as a well-balanced package in the forthcoming consultation.
‘And we will expect private sector contractors in the NHS to implement the deal for their low-paid workers following agreement.’
The GMB trade union also welcomed the deal but admitted that ‘GMB members are likely to be disappointed that the offer falls below the headline inflation rate’.
Sharon Holder, GMB National Officer, said: ‘GMB members working in the NHS will now be consulted on this new pay offer.’
The union statement added: ‘GMB members will welcome the decision by the NHS Pay Review Body to recommend for 2008/09 a 2.75% pay award for NHS workers in the face of demands from the Labour government for 2%.
‘This offer comes as part of a three-year deal and will only be implemented in full if the members accept the full three-year package.’
The union said: ‘GMB is particularly pleased to see that this year’s award will be honoured by the government in full and will not be staged if the members accept the offer.’
Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said: ‘We have always said we would only consider signing up to a three-year pay deal if it was fair and offered nurses protection against future rises in inflation.
‘We are delighted to put the RCN’s name to a proposal that does just that.’
