By Alan Rodgers
STORMONT Health Minister Mike Nesbitt’s proposals on a fresh pay settlement for NHS workers have been given a guarded welcome locally.
The UUP leader has offered health workers a rise in their pay which mirrors the value of increases in England. These will be implemented in two different tranches due to what Mr Nesbitt describes as ‘ongoing pressures’ on the Department of Health budget.
Public service union Unison’s chair in Omagh and Fermanagh, Andy McKane, said the move is being welcomed by its members locally. But he warned that there will remain a pay shortfall.
“This offer is welcome and delivers pay parity.
“But there is a two-month shortfall which also needs to be addressed by the Health Minister before we catch up completely,” Mr McKane said. “Our members and NHS workers in Northern Ireland have been one year behind employees in England in terms of pay.
“The new pay proposals for there will be announced soon and we will again be trying to catch-up.”
“The First Minister and Health Minister must put plans in place now to ensure that workers are not left behind again in terms of play.”
“Everyone knows about the budgetary pressures being faced, but the Executive and Department for Health need to ensure that the money is found to ensure that our NHS workers remain in pay parity with their colleagues across the water.”
key role
Mr McKane said Unison’s pressure on both the Executive and Health Minister over potential industrial action if the pay problems were not resolved had played a key role in ensuring progress on the issue.
In a statement, the Health Minister, said he was ‘extremely keen’ to ensure that health workers did not have to go through Christmas thinking that they might need further industrial action to get their pay awards.
“Like the unions, I am disappointed we couldn’t get to this point in a quicker, cleaner manner,” he said.
“I believe a pay settlement is good news for health staff, good news for patients and good news for all those who care about our health service. Winter pressures are escalating once again and I owed it to staff to do all in my power to get a decent deal over the line.”
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