The PRB has recommended that every NHS pay point should increase by £1,400. This announcement covers all NHS staff groups other than doctors. The PRB have also recommended that staff in Band 6 and 7 should get 4% instead of £1,400, where this is higher. The government has accepted those recommendations. This means once again the PRB process and the government’s decisions have left NHS staff with another real-terms pay cut. And because the government would not negotiate with us this is not a pay ‘offer’– the government will move to implement it whether or not you want to accept it.
For NHS staff outside Scotland, we do not have negotiations. Instead, we have a so-called ‘independent’ Pay Review Body system. The government receives the PRB’s recommendations and decides the award. They then move to implement it rather than making an offer to unions. The Scottish government entered pay negotiations with health unions and has offered a pay rise of 5% for most NHS staff.
The governments in Wales and Northern Ireland make their own decisions on what pay award to make in these regions. Both Welsh government and Northern Ireland have yet to announce, but it is likely to happen on a different timetable to England.
Working with other trade unions BOSTU set out our position to the PRB earlier this year, calling not only for an inflation-busting pay increase, but for serious work to improve the overall pay system, ending poor practice with job banding and a failure to properly recognise additional hours.
The government had a chance to put NHS pay right so that the service could keep desperately needed staff and attract new ones. But it has chosen not to act.
We’re working closely together with 12 other NHS unions to co-ordinate how we respond. As well as talking to other unions, BOSTU’s Executive committee will meet very shortly to analyse the pay award, make their assessment, and decide how they will consult you on our next steps. So look out for another email from us and make sure your colleagues are joining BOSTU if they’re not already members – by standing together we can achieve change.
It is vital that all members take part in deciding how we go forward collectively as a union. If the majority want to oppose the outcome and are willing to take part in industrial action, we may be able to secure change but only if members take part in large enough numbers. If enough members say they want to action, the next stage would be for the union to run a formal ballot.
What will the NHS pay award mean for me?
What about NHS pensions contributions?
The government was originally going to bring in changes to staff NHS pension contributions in April 2022. They then decided to postpone these to October claiming they were taking account of cost-of-living pressures for NHS staff.
For some staff – notably part-time staff and those on the highest pay bands – contributions will go down. (From October if you work part-time, your pensionable pay will be based on what you earn rather than the full-time equivalent salary as now).
But for many other staff, the changes will mean paying more and it’s very unfair that this particularly affects the lower paid.
That’s why BOSTU and the other unions told the Pay Review Body (PRB) and the government that the pay award needed to offset any contributions increases staff might face. But the PRB failed to make proper recommendations on this and the government has refused to act.
What about the other things BOSTU and other unions asked for?
We know that while headline pay awards are important, BOSTU members care about other aspects of their pay. BOSTU and the other unions told the PRB and the government that an ‘urgent retention package’ was required to address the pay issues that are driving staff to leave the NHS. This needed to include:
▪ a funded programme of job description and banding reviews to ensure staff are on the right band for the job
▪ measures to ensure that staff get paid and at the right rate for all the hours they work
▪ improvements to pay on promotion so that taking on a higher banded job with more responsibility is worthwhile
The PRB made some remarks about this but no concrete recommendations and the government has continued to ignore these issues.
What is industrial action?
Industrial action can include strike action (which is any concerted stoppage of work), or action short of strike action such as ‘go-slows’ or ‘working to rule’.
Strict trade union laws mean that industrial action can only take place following a postal ballot of affected members, in which more than 50% must vote and (in important public services) more than 40% of those voting must vote in favour of taking action.
For NHS staff outside Scotland, we do not have negotiations. Instead, we have a so-called ‘independent’ Pay Review Body system. The government receives the PRB’s recommendations and decides the award. They then move to implement it rather than making an offer to unions.
The governments in Wales and Northern Ireland make their own decisions on what pay award to make in these regions. Both Welsh government and Northern Ireland have yet to announce, but it is likely to happen on a different timetable to England. The Scottish government entered pay negotiations with health unions and has offered a pay rise of 5% for most NHS staff.
When will the pay increase be paid in England?
We are awaiting confirmation of when the £1,400 will be paid. We think it is likely to be in September salaries but the backpay may come in a subsequent pay packet.
When will the pay increase be backdated to?
The pay rise in England will be backdated to 1 April 2022.
What will happen to my High Cost Area Supplement (London weighting)?
We think the minimum and maximum payments for high cost area supplements will be updated, and are seeking clarification on how the government intend this to be applied.
A NHS TU lead meeting is set for tomorrow to discuss and decide the next collective steps following the PRB recommendations. We will update you on any developments in the next couple of weeks.
Kind regards
Sam Aitkenhead
General Secretary
BOSTU
