Union to poll nurses over strike action in NHS pay row

NURSES have moved a step closer to taking industrial action over pay, with their union announcing an “indicative ballot” on the matter.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said it would poll its members about the next steps in its campaign, after a consultation in which members objected to this year’s 3 per cent pay award.

The union said 92 per cent of its members who voted in the consultative ballot had said the pay deal for 2021-22 was unacceptable.

The result of the “indicative” vote will determine whether a formal ballot on industrial action will be held.

Members working for the NHS in England will be asked in the coming weeks if they are willing to take action

‘We are a safety-critical profession, but forced to operate with tens of thousands of missing nurses’

short of a strike, such as working their contracted hours only, or a complete withdrawal of labour.

The RCN , which is calling for a 12.5 per cent pay rise for nursing staff, said industrial action should be a last resort, but warned that the current NHS staffing crisis was causing “unacceptable risk” to patients and staff.

In Northern Ireland, a formal pay announcement is still awaited, while in Scotland, RCN members will vote in an indicative ballot from Oct 12.

Carol Popplestone, chairman of the RCN council, said: “Politicians might be hoping our members would go quiet about NHS pay, but with this announcement they are turning up the volume.

“We are a patient, safety-critical profession, but currently forced to operate with tens of thousands of missing nurses – patient care is suffering.

“Only by paying nursing staff fairly will you stop experienced staff from leaving and encourage the next generation to join a fantastic career.”