Boost our pay or risk strike action

Nursing leaders are warning the government in England must boost the pay of nurses or face possible strike action.

A survey of Royal College of Nursing members showed 91% did not think the 3.6% pay increase this year was enough.

The union had called the award “grotesque” after doctors were given more.

It is seeking urgent talks with ministers about the way nurses are paid under their NHS contract, warning too many get stuck on the lowest pay bands, which does not reflect their expertise.

If the government does not act over the summer, the union is threatening to run an industrial action ballot in the autumn.

More than 170,000 took part in the survey, more than half of the eligible membership.

The union warned there was widespread dissatisfaction with the NHS contract, known as Agenda for Change.

Nurses begin on band five, with a starting salary of just over £31,000, after this year’s pay rise.

Pay at the top of the band reaches nearly £38,000.

Nearly half of nurses are on this bottom band and research shows many struggle to move on from it.

The RCN has been calling for nurses to automatically move up to band six after working an initial preceptorship period, possibly 18-months.

Sources at the union said this could be one way to address the low pay.

They said they were not targeting an increase to this year’s pay because it was clear from the resident doctor dispute the government was not willing to revisit the pay awards which were recommended by an independent pay review process.

Members in Wales and Northern Ireland also said the 3.6% increase was not enough.

RCN general secretary Prof Nicola Ranger said: “My profession feels deeply undervalued and that is why record numbers are telling the government to wake up, sense the urgency here and do what’s right by them and by patients.

“Record numbers have delivered this verdict on a broken system that holds back nursing pay and careers and hampers the NHS.”