Another union confirms health staff ballot

The News Letter revealed just over a week ago that several trade unions in the health service here were making preparations to ballot health staff over pay amid the cost-of-living crisis and on Thursday, the Royal College of Nursing confirmed that it would hold a ballot from September 15 until October 13.

Now, the GMB trade union has confirmed that it will also ballot its members in the Northern Ireland health service.

The trade union, which is small in terms of its representation within the health service here, does have hundreds of members who work for what is one of Northern Ireland’s largest employers in roles such as transport and ancilliary services.

Across the UK, GMB said it has “tens of thousands” of members in the NHS.

The GMB’s national officer, Rachel Harrison, described a pay offer it said amounted to between one and seven per cent as “punishment”.

The situation with the pay offer is complicated further in Northern Ireland, however, due to the absence of a fully functioning Executive at Stormont.

Health Minister Robin Swann said in July that the absence of a functioning Executive means he is unable to implement even the recommended uplift that unions are already unhappy with.

Announcing their move to a formal strike ballot, Fiona Devlin of the Royal College of Nursing said: “Nursing staff in Northern Ireland do not even know if they will receive a pay award this year.

“However, we are acutely aware that the pay award for colleagues in England and Wales does nothing to help with the spiralling costs of living and will do nothing to recruit or retain more nursing staff.”

Ms Harrison, meanwhile, said: “After more than 10 years of pay cuts and a gruelling two years on the pandemic frontline, NHS staff face yet more punishment from this pay offer.

“Health workers are using food banks and cancelling their pension contributions to make ends meet.

“It’s not right and we shouldn’t expect them to take it lying down.”

A spokesperson for the GMB confirmed to the News Letter yesterday morning that its ballot would include its members in Northern Ireland.

If a strike does go ahead, it will be the second time in three years that health workers have staged a walkout.