TUV say 'questions need to be asked' why health and social workers in Northern Ireland had to wait for pay offer

The news comes after a senior union official said the main unions "can live" with a deal proposed by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and are withdrawing their threat of industrial action over the winter.

Anne Speed, a negotiator with the largest union Unison, said the offer fulfilled the mandates of the unions by ensuring pay parity with colleagues elsewhere in the UK.

The NHS Pay Review Body, which makes recommendations on the pay of staff on the Agenda for Change terms and conditions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, has recommended a 5.5% increase for 2024/25.

Mr Nesbitt has conceded he does not currently have the £320 million needed to deliver the pay award in full.

However, he has committed to paying at least 10 months' worth of the uplift retrospectively next year, with a further pledge to secure the additional money needed to bridge the gap to make the full award.

"It was my determination that healthcare workers would not have to go through Christmas thinking they might have to take industrial action to get the pay awards they deserved so I think today is a massive and very welcome step forward," Mr Nesbitt told reporters at Stormont on Tuesday evening.

He added: "I would share some frustration with the unions in that this was not done more quickly and more cleanly because, after all, these pay awards and recommendations coming out of England they should really just roll across the Irish Sea and be implemented.

"It looks like we are going to avoid industrial action over the winter and I very much welcome that and I think anybody who relies on the health and social care service is going to welcome that."

A statement by a TUV spokesperson says the prospect of industrial action by health workers should never have been on the table.

It read: “The deal is welcome as it brings certainty about the provision of services in the days ahead. However, there have to be questions asked about why this problem arose in the first place.

"Under the Barnett formula any uplift for NHS staff in Great Britain was reflected in an uplift in funding to Northern Ireland from HM Treasury. This problem would not have arisen had the money always been allocated to the cause it should have been."

Ms Speed said if the offer was fulfilled there would be no need for industrial action in relation to the 2024/25 pay award.

She told BBC Radio Ulster: "This financial year, all things going well, and the commitments the minister has given us - by way of a letter and by way of a memorandum of understanding from the Department of Health - if all of that is met, we won't be having an industrial action on the pay year 2024 to 25," she said.

Commenting on the development, the Royal College of Midwives Director of Northern Ireland, Karen Murray said: “Today (Tuesday) has been a long time coming, particularly for our members who feared they would be forced to take to the picket lines again like we did earlier this year.

"It’s been a long road, and our members’ frustration has been palpable. For many of our members, particularly those struggling with the cost of living, the delays have been especially hard.

"Improving pay for our members in Northern Ireland is a key part of our campaign work, because we know staff who are paid fairly and are valued for the work they do stay working in our maternity service. We need to retain those staff with years of experience so they can pass that down to new qualified midwives.”

On social media platform X, First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she was “delighted” that health and social care workers will receive the pay increase.

She added: "Our health and social care professionals are the backbone of our health service, and they deserve a fair wage for their hard work and dedication.

"I remain committed to working within the Executive to ensure that all public sector workers, including our teaching staff, receive the pay they deserve for the vital roles they play in our communities.”