Health minister hails pay deal breakthrough as ‘massive step forward’

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has described a pay deal with unions that is set to avert winter strike action as a “massive step forward”.

His comments came after a senior union official said the main unions “can live” with a deal proposed by Mr Nesbitt and are withdrawing their threat of industrial action.

Anne Speed, a negotiator with the largest union Unison, said the offer fulfilled the mandates of the unions by ensuring pay parity with colleagues elsewhere in the UK.

The NHS Pay Review Body, which makes recommendations on the pay of staff on the Agenda for Change terms and conditions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, has recommended a 5.5% increase for 2024/25.

Mr Nesbitt has conceded he does not currently have the £320 million needed to deliver the pay award in full.

However, he has committed to paying at least 10 months’ worth of the uplift retrospectively next year, with a further pledge to secure the additional money needed to bridge the gap to make the full award.

“It was my determination that healthcare workers would not have to go through Christmas thinking they might have to take industrial action to get the pay awards they deserved so I think today is a massive and very welcome step forward,” Mr Nesbitt told reporters at Stormont on Tuesday evening.

“I would share some frustration with the unions in that this was not done more quickly and more cleanly because, after all, these pay awards and recommendations coming out of England they should really just roll across the Irish Sea and be implemented.

“There shouldn’t be a need for a local process and local discussion and local negotiations and it’s my determination that next year that won’t happen and we will move cleanly and quickly to a resolution.”

He added: “It looks like we are going to avoid industrial action over the winter and I very much welcome that and I think anybody who relies on the health and social care service is going to welcome that.”

Earlier, Ms Speed said the unions had sought to secure pay parity.

“We’ve done that after some effort,” she told BBC Radio Ulster.

“And I think the minister has stepped forward now with something which I think all unions can live with.”

Ms Speed said if the offer was fulfilled there would be no need for industrial action in relation to the 2024/25 pay award.

“This financial year, all things going well, and the commitments the minister has given us – by way of a letter and by way of a memorandum of understanding from the Department of Health – if all of that is met, we won’t be having an industrial action on the pay year 2024 to 25,” she said.

Royal College of Midwives director in Northern Ireland, Karen Murray, said it had been “a long time coming”.

“It’s been a long road, and our members’ frustration has been palpable,” she said.

“We very much hope this announcement is the beginning of much needed work to improve the pay, terms and conditions for all our members in Northern Ireland.

“We welcome the minster’s acknowledgement that to grow and retain our current midwifery workforce, staff need to be properly recognised for the contribution they are making to improve safety and deliver high quality maternity care to women and their families across Northern Ireland.”

Separate from the Agenda for Change staff recommendation, the review body for pay for doctors and dentists in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has recommended a 6% increase in their wages.

It is understood the minister is awaiting an official response from the professional bodies representing doctors and dentists about his pay plan.