NHS

NHS   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

GMB NHS rep

NHS and ambulance service reps in the GMB union from across the UK met on 15 June. This was held in response to GMB members rejecting the governments’ NHS pay offer.

87% of our members across the NHS and ambulance service voted to reject the deal. Reps explained how hard they worked to set up face-to-face meetings with members and fully explain the finer points of the pay offer to them.

They explained to members that performance-related pay was to be introduced into the NHS for the first time and about the attacks on unsocial hours payments. Where we met with members and balloted them on the spot the rate of rejections was highest.

In spite of limitations in resources and pressure on facility time GMB managed to hold meetings with our members across the health services in the UK. Members told us that they are fed up of being underpaid and overworked and that they are concerned that the NHS is being run into the ground. Reps also reported that members from other unions are equally angry about the pay offer.

Reps and members from other health unions were supportive of the GMB position on rejecting this rotten and divisive pay offer.

The overwhelming response GMB has had from our members has been heard loud and clear and we are not giving up on the fight to demand fair pay for NHS staff.

We know that driving down pay is just one in a whole series of attacks on the NHS and that the threat of privatisation and transfer into so-called ‘wholly-owned subsidiaries’ is looming large. A fightback on pay would strengthen our position in defeating these other attacks.

As reported in last week’s Socialist, GMB was the only health union to vote against the deal. See ‘Health unions accept divisive NHS pay deal – but fightback could have won much more’.