We’ve been given no choice

Michelle Jarrett-Ruecroft, Nurse practitioner and RCN member

RCN members have once again voiced their anger at the government’s below-inflation pay offer by voting to reject the deal.  54% voted against the derisory offer of a one-off two-part non-consolidated payment for 2022-23 and 5% for 2023-24.

Further strike action was immediately announced by the RCN leadership, who advised acceptance of the deal, but have now been pushed by the strength of feeling from the members.

The strike action will run from 8pm on 30 April to 8pm on 2 May, without derogations (agreements with managers to provide cover). This takes the RCN to the end of our lawful strike mandate period, so members are being balloted again so that further action can take place if necessary throughout the spring and summer.

We must put pressure on the government to get back round the table and improve the insulting offer. No healthcare professional wants to strike or put patients at risk, but RCN members feel they have been given no choice and are fighting for the future of the NHS itself.

Nurses need a fighting leadership

Helen Perriam, Mental health nurse and rcn member

The announcement that nurses in England rejected the current pay offer from the Tory government led to celebrations by many. The offer falls well short of a pay rise. It doesn’t even bring pay in line with that of 2008, taking into consideration the increase in the cost of living.

Nurses are struggling to get by on the current wage – especially if you are a single-parent family, if you drive as part of a community job, or have no non-sociable hours payments. This insulting pay offer does nothing to retain already burnt-out staff, or recruit new nurses to the profession. Even without the level of responsibility, stress, understaffing, and physical and emotional toll nursing takes, everyone should be afforded a dignified wage.

This result shows there is real appetite to fight. We now need the RCN leadership to get a backbone and lead it.

This result should give confidence to nurses that we can win, even when the leadership puts obstacles in our way. We need a leadership with the humanity and determination the nursing workforce has shown. I would urge the leadership to join up with other trade union leaders whose members are also engaged in a struggle.