Rishi defends ‘fair and reasonable’ 1% rise for nurses
NURSES are lucky to have been offered a one per cent pay rise given the state of the economy, Rishi Sunak suggested as the row over wages for NHS staff continued.
But he admitted they could yet be offered more – as Labour pledged to focus on the issue at the launch of its local election campaign.
Grilled on his Budget by the Commons treasury committee yesterday, the chancellor said the one per cent pay offer was ‘proportionate, fair and reasonable’.
‘We set out a targeted approach to public-sector pay to ensure those in the NHS would actually receive a pay rise next year,’ he said. ‘In other parts of the public sector that will not be the case. The department of health makes a recommendation based on affordability and then the pay review body
will look at things in the round and come back with a recommendation towards the summer.’ Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer said the prime minister had ‘slammed the door’ on carers – but refused to back strike action threatened by the Royal College of Nursing.
‘I think the starting point should be the 2.1 per cent that was promised and was, of course, budgeted for,’ said Sir Keir on the raise. ‘They don’t want to go on strike. It’s the prime minister that’s causing this dispute and it’s the prime minister that can sort it out.’ The Labour leader added: ‘When I clapped for our carers, I meant it. The prime minister clapped for carers, then he slammed the door on them.’
Nurses maintained the pressure for more pay as the annual NHS staff survey found 44 per cent of workers fell ill with workplace stress last year.
‘This survey should act as a stark reminder to ministers of why a one per cent pay rise is so disrespectful after the last year,’ said RCN head Dame Donna Kinnair. ‘Unless ministers recognise the warning signals of those who are thinking of leaving, it makes it even harder for the NHS to return to normal.’