Royal College of Nursing members vote to reject pay offer

Members of the Royal College of Nursing in Northern Ireland have voted to reject a pay offer, while a number of other health worker unions have voted to accept it.

It comes after industrial action over pay levels falling behind colleagues across the rest of the UK.

Following the restoration of devolved government at Stormont earlier this year, health workers were offered a 5% increase and a lump sum of £1,505.

Rita Devlin, director of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Northern Ireland, said RCN members voted by 55.85% to 44.15% to reject the pay offer.

Health Minister Robin Swann has been advised of the outcome.

Ms Devlin said the offer “fell short of pay parity with colleagues in England”, adding “our members in Northern Ireland will not tolerate being treated unequally and unfairly”.

“The RCN remains in dispute and the RCN Northern Ireland Board, which is elected by our members, will be meeting as a matter of urgency to consider the results of our ballot and to determine the next steps,” she said.

Meanwhile other health worker unions have voted to accept a pay offer.

Unison said 29,000 members voted by 77.2% to 22.8%, and Unite said 81% of their members voted to accept.

Members of the Royal College of Midwives also voted to accept with 86.3% voting for, members of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists voted (84%) to accept as well as the Society of Radiographers (73%).

In a statement, Health Minister Robin Swann and his department welcomed the “decisive outcome of trade union ballots on the pay offer tabled in February”.

“The Department will now move to implement the offer,” they said.

“This settlement will restore pay parity with England for all health and social care staff covered by the Agenda for Change framework.

“Under this package, HSC Agenda for Change staff will receive a consolidated pay uplift of 5% and a non-consolidated (pro-rata) payment of £1,505.

“The pay settlement is for the financial year 2023/24 and will be backdated to April 2023.”