NIPSA health staff to ballot for strike action, trade union confirms

It is the third trade union to announce plans to ballot Northern Ireland health workers on a possible strike.

The Royal College of Nursing, one of the largest trade unions in the NHS, is to open a formal ballot of Northern Ireland members in just over a week, on September 15.

The GMB trade union, a small union in terms of the overall health service workforce, has already opened a ballot of members in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland, like the rest of the UK, has been rocked by widespread industrial discontent and has endured several bouts of strike action already this year in both the public and private sectors as trade unions step up demands for hefty pay rises to match soaring inflation.

Trade unions in the health service in other parts of the UK have expressed discontent with a 4.5% pay offer. In Northern Ireland the situation has been complicated by Health Minister Robin Swann has yet to formally offer that recommended pay deal due to the absence of a fully functioning Executive at Stormont.

The News Letter revealed several weeks ago that several health unions were making behind-the-scenes preparations to formally ask workers here if they are prepared to strike.Today, a spokesperson for NIPSA said: “NIPSA has registered that it is formally in dispute with the Department of Health and health service employers in relation to Pay, Staffing Levels and Travel Reimbursement.

NIPSA is now preparing to engage in a ballot of its members seeking majority support for strike actions and action short of strike action. Currently the continued failure to address Staffing Levels and Recruitment and Retention issues across the Health Service puts patients’ lives at risk every day while the recent Pay Review Body recommendation of £1400 or 4% as accepted by Government would amount to a further year on year Pay Cut for staff.”

NIPSA official Terry Thomas added: “NIPSA did not take this decision lightly, we believe that the Health Service cannot be allowed to continue exploiting NIPSA members across the Health and Social Care system by underpaying and undervaluing their work.”