Ulster workers face salary limbo over Stormont’s collapse

NORTHERN Ireland health workers are facing a pay-deal limbo after the Government offered NHS staff a raise.

The Treasury is to send extra money here in the wake of a deal being struck between unions and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

The agreement offers big increases to low-paid workers but staff in Northern Ireland are facing uncertainty over when and how much their wages will go up due to factors including a lack of a devolved administration.

One Ulster NHS worker told the Mirror: “We’re told we’re as British as Finchley. Well, can we get paid the same as the nurses and health workers in Finchley? There’s a two-tier pay situation here and we are still not clear what’s going to happen to address that.”

A spokesman for the Department of Finance said “public sector pay is a devolved matter that is determined locally and pay policy has yet to be set for 18/19”.

Overall, the move will cost the Treasury more than £4billion to fund. Band 1 workers, the lowest paid in the NHS, will see a dramatic rise to £17,460 a year. But the increase will be from £15,404 for staff starting work in England while in Northern Ireland the same staff start at just £14,665.

A Stormont source said “theoretically” the Department of Finance, who will get the money, could spend it on whatever they want.

However, it is understood there will be a significant delay in local workers getting a raise thanks to the lack of any Stormont ministers.