RCN in NI vote to accept proposals to restore pay parity with the NHS in England | Health Minister Robin Swann ‘welcomes’ agreement

Unison, Unite and the Royal College of Nursing had staged industrial action for several months in protest over pay and staffing.

Strike action was suspended in January following successful talks with the Department of Health.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said its members had spoken clearly in accepting the government’s offer.

Pat Cullen, from the RCN, said: “It was unprecedented, not just in Northern Ireland, but for RCN members anywhere to go on strike.

“While RCN members have spoken clearly in accepting this offer, we are also clear we need to see all of the measures that have been agreed by Health Minister Robin Swann implemented in full.”

Speaking in Belfast on Monday, Anne Speed from Unison, speaking on behalf of all trade unions, said: “Having separate consultations with our members, health trade unions have accepted the proposals on pay parity and safe staffing that have been endorsed by the Health Minister and the Executive in January.

“The trade unions have informed the minister and the department of health of our collective acceptance and the proposals and we will now work with the department of health to implement the agreement on pay and deliver all aspects of safe staffing agreed in the framework document.

“It has been a very difficult period of industrial action for our members and that has not been without hardship but they have given us the mandate to agree to these proposals by secret ballot.

“It is now the responsibility of the Department of Health to ensure that the pay agreement is implemented swiftly.”

Health Minister Robin Swann has welcomed the announcement by trade unions that they have accepted his proposals on pay parity and safe staffing.

The joint union statement followed separate consultations with their members.

The Minister said: “I very much welcome this trade union announcement. My first objective on taking up the post of Health Minister was to secure a resolution to the industrial action and I am delighted that this has now been achieved.

“This was made possible through important pay and staffing commitments which I was able to make with Executive-wide backing and I am grateful to my colleagues around the Executive table for this vital support.

“As I have repeatedly stated, our health service will need sustained investment year on year for the sake of patients and staff.”