Health Minister ‘determined to deliver’ pay parity for workers

Stormont Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has said he is determined to deliver pay parity for health workers in Northern Ireland.

A two-stage process has been mooted to deliver a recommended pay rise for health workers, with the first pay award backdated to August, rather than April.

Mr Nesbitt has said he will then work with Executive colleagues to find the funds required to cover the outstanding four months-worth of backdating to be paid at a later date.

Last week trade unions for health workers indicated they are prepared to listen in terms of the proposal but warned that industrial action has not been ruled out.

Mr Nesbitt was questioned about the situation during questions for his department at the Stormont Assembly on Monday.

He said: “The situation is that the Department of Finance was well aware ahead of the October Monitoring that I needed £130 million to balance the budget and £320 million to deliver pay parity awards – £450 million in total.

“I got £350 million so there is a gap of £100 million, and the department of finance and I think the Executive generally are extremely keen that we all balance the books because if the Executive does not, the Treasury may want to recoup a £559 million loan which they are otherwise prepared to write off.

“I don’t want to be the man responsible for that £559 million coming out of next year’s Executive budget.

“At the same time I want to deliver the pay parity.”

Mr Nesbitt said he will use the money from the October Monitoring Round to deliver pay parity for eight of the 12 months: “I am now working at pace  with Executive colleagues to try and close the gap which exists from April 1 last to July 31 last.

“From last Monday’s Executive meeting to today, I think there is now a real collective will to do that, and not just for health care but for all public sector pay,” he said.

SDLP MLA Colin McGrath called it “another promise”, which was “an awful lot to expect our health care workers to accept”.

Mr Nesbitt has proposed a two-stage process to deliver a recommended pay rise for health workers.