The authorities in Great Britain came up with a proposal for the salaries of health workers. The various unions involved in the negotiations must now put this proposal to a vote of their members. The British government has proposed a pay rise for several categories of staff in the public health system.
This proposal, supported by some unions, could end several months of strikes in England, writes Le monde. It includes an increase in pay for 2022-2023 and a payment agreement for 2023-2024. A press release said both parties believed this was a fair and reasonable agreement that recognized the dedication of NHS staff (the National Health service).
The relevant employees will receive an additional bonus of 2% on their remuneration for the current fiscal year (April 2022 – April 2023), which is in addition to the 4% increase initially taken. They will also receive a one-off payment, the amount of which will depend on their length of service, but will be at least £1,250 (€1,425). Finally, salaries for the next year (April 2023-April 2024) will increase by 5%.
The various unions involved in the negotiations must now put this proposal to a vote of their members. The proposal does not include hospital doctors who were on strike this week and did not participate in the negotiations.
Nurses and other health workers have been calling for a pay rise for months to keep up with the country’s double-digit inflation. They have gone on strike several times since December, the first strike in over a hundred years. Prime Minister Rushi Sunak welcomed the proposal, calling it “sustainable for taxpayers” and enabling the government to “fulfill its promise to reduce the effects of inflation”. “We took a sensible approach from the start,” he added.
