The Secretary of State is still unable to provide any assurance that health care staff here will get any pay award for 2023/24 due to the absence of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive.
While this pay award will apply to members working in the HSC (NHS), any pay rise may also have an impact on those working in the independent sector when seeking to negotiate pay and conditions. Nursing staff are being held to ransom by the lack of political movement which is causing untold damage to services and patient care.
Today, the RCN Northern Ireland Board has taken the step of asking members to write to their MLA to demand that action is taken and that all political parties demonstrate leadership and accountability by getting back into government.
Nursing staff in Northern Ireland have the same right to fair pay as those working in England, Scotland and Wales, and we should not be treated differently.
Please take time to your MLA today and, together, we will demand that they listen.
