NHS Pay Dispute Latest
GMB says accelerated NHS pay talks ‘huge opportunity to transform value of NHS staff’
Ahead of accelerated negotiations between health unions and the Scottish Government tomorrow afternoon (Thursday 19 January) to resolve the long-running NHS Scotland Agenda for Change (AfC) pay dispute, and setting out the union’s expectations for the process, GMB Scotland Senior Organiser for Public Services Keir Greenaway said:
“This is a huge opportunity for the government to work with us and bring forward transformative proposals for the value of NHS staff through a significant pay increase for 2023-24. For GMB, that means bettering the terms of the existing offer for 2022-23.
“This is doable within the government’s budget, and if we can achieve this then NHS Scotland stands a far better chance of recruiting and retaining the people needed to build a recovery of our broken health service.
“The good faith our members have shown in agreeing to this process has been reciprocated in the extension of our strike mandates and the commitment to effectively backdate the value of any agreed increase for 2023-24 to January 1st.
“However, we still face hard yards in the days and weeks ahead, but the strength of trade union members in dispute across the NHS and SAS has brought about this opportunity, so we urge the Cabinet Secretary to grasp it and avoid the prospect of future strikes.”
ENDS
Contact: GMB Scotland Senior Organiser Keir Greenaway on 07855 017842 or GMB Scotland Communications on 07976 447077.
Notes to Editors:
Negotiations involving the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care and Scottish Terms and Conditions (STAC) Committee trade union representatives, including GMB Scotland who represent over 8,000 members across NHS Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service, with strike mandates in SAS and key health board areas, are scheduled to take place from 13.30 hours, Thursday 19 January 2023, at St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh.
