The pay offer agreed between health unions and ministers this week involves a one-off payment for the current financial year which is split into two – a non-consolidated lump sum of 2 per cent of this year’s salary and a more generous “NHS backlog bonus” of at least £1,250 per worker, or more than 4 per cent of pay.
Asked why the one-off payment for 2022-23 was split into two for NHS staff, a Downing Street spokesman said: “One of them is a 2 per cent non-consolidated award based on an individual’s salary, whilst one is an NHS backlog bonus which is significantly there to recognise the pressure that the NHS faced throughout the pandemic.”
Asked whether that meant other unions involved in strike action would not be offered that package, the spokesman said: “I’m not going to get into details of negotiations, I don’t think it would be right to do so, but we have said that each public sector workforce is unique and we have been clear that this pay offer for Agenda for Change staff is specific to the work they have done, and that bonus as I’ve said is the NHS backlog bonus which uniquely reflects the work they did throughout the...
The government and representatives of six health unions including Unison, GMB and the Royal College of nursing reached a breakthrough agreement on Thursday after six days of talks. The offer is being put to members, including Unite who are not recommending the deal but will honour the outcome of the ballot.
Let’s hope they are telling the truth and not taking it from the existing budgets.