PAY RISE SNUB ‘KICK IN TEETH’ FOR NURSES
Nursing staff to protest after not being included in increase given to doctors
NURSES across Wales will take to the streets to protest against how they and other members of hospital and healthcare staff are not getting pay rises.
Protests are being organised in Merthyr Tydfil and at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay following the announcement last week that doctors and dentists will see their pay increase.
The news shocked many nurses and other healthcare staff who will not get a pay increase, with nurse Matthew Tovey describing it as a “kick in the teeth”.
Mr Tovey, 30, started a petition and has been encouraged by colleagues and other members of staff to lead the way with hosting a protest, which is planned for August 8.
The 2.8% pay rise for doctors and dentists is in line with recommendations of a report by the Doctors and Dentists Review Body (DDRB) which happens every year.
However, pay award negotiations for nurses run on a separate cycle to doctors and a multi-year agreement has already been made with nurses which will take them up to 2021.
Speaking about the news earlier this week, health minister Vaughan Gething said: “Nurses, therapists, and others who are covered by the agenda for change agreement, whose negotiations take place separately, and I signed off on a multi-year agreement in the last year. They got pay rises that have already been agreed.
“We have not chosen to take doctors and dentists out of their normal cycle – we have actually just made a decision in the normal course of doing this with the independent pay review bodies.”
But one critical care consultant said the increase needs to go to all NHS workers, adding that they “all deserve more than a clap for what they have done” through the pandemic.
Mr Tovey, who has worked at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr since he was 17, said: “In work everyone has been so supportive of the petition and it gave everyone a boost because everyone was feeling so down about not being included in the pay rise.
“We want to hold a protest to show that it is not just numbers on the internet, it is people. We want to go that extra step.
“I know people have used the word unprecedented a lot but [Covid-19] really was.
“Yes we all signed up to be nurses, but we could never have imagined something like this happening.”
Mr Tovey started out as a healthcare support worker on the wards of the Merthyr hospital 13 years ago and has just qualified as a nurse.
He described his time in the profession as “growing up in the NHS” and added that he has witnessed first-hand exactly how many people it takes to keep hospital wards going.
“It is not just about us as nurses, it is everyone. It’s the porters, the healthcare support workers, everyone. We all deserve this.”
Matthew also expressed a concern as nurses look towards the potential impact on morale if a second wave of the virus hits Wales.
“How will we feel going back to work, knowing what we will be going through, and knowing that the most appreciation will be shown with a clap?”
Matthew said he has inquired with all official channels about holding the protest and is waiting for the goahead from Merthyr Tydfil County Borough council, which he expects to receive tomorrow.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “The health minister values the contribution of all our dedicated health and social care workforce in Wales and recognises the challenges they face, particularly during the pandemic.
“In 2018 a three-year pay agreement was implemented for all Agenda for Change NHS staff, including nurses, which includes a higher starting pay and faster progression through pay points.
“While we are not directly responsible for social care staff pay, they have provided exceptional care during the pandemic and in recognition of that contribution we announced a special, one-off payment of £500 for all care home and domiciliary care workers.”
According to Mr Tovey, protests are also planned for other parts of the UK including London.