Immediately after talks between the health trade unions and the government on 9 January, Onay Kasab, Unite the Union’s lead national officer, was interviewed by the media.
All the government are interested in is saying is in order to justify a payment, then we need to find, we need to come up with, ‘productivity savings’ in the NHS. That is absolutely ludicrous.
We are talking about people who are working well beyond their contracted hours anyway, just to get the job done, because they can’t hand patients over, and because they care so much.
For the government to be talking about ‘productivity’ in exchange for a pay award is an insult to every single one of our members. You all know what’s going on in hospitals. You all know how hard everybody is working. Today is an insult.
The government have missed another opportunity to put this right. We came here in good faith.
What they want to talk about is productivity. Productivity when our members are working 18-hour shifts. How you become more productive with that, I do not know.
And when asked if the strikes go on, Onay Kasab said: “Absolutely yes”.
See Onay Kasab’s full interview on the Sky News channel on YouTube – ‘Unite boss’s anger at government offer over strikes’
John Malcolm, Unison health branch secretary for Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (personal capacity)
Following unproductive talks between the government and a number of unions, there has been talk of a one-off payment for health workers, and a pay deal for next year, 2023-24, backdated only as far as January 2023.
This could effectively mean a two-year deal worth as little as 4%, far short of the above-inflation pay rise demanded by health unions.
A one-off payment would be an ‘unconsolidated’ lump sum. It wouldn’t contribute anything to our pensions. And it would mean next year our pay would be just as low as it is now.
Not going away
The cost-of-living crisis is not going to go away, and the economy is heading for recession. Lump sums and below-inflation pay offers will not address the staff shortages and increase recruitment. Staff are leaving for less stressful and better-paid work in retail and other industries.
Unions should hold firm for what is needed. A real-terms ‘consolidated’ pay rise, proofed against future cost-of-living rises, and sufficient to tackle the staff crisis.
Coordinated strike action across the public sector and other industries is the way forward to win decent pay, massive investment in the NHS, and defeat the Tories.
