When we look back on this period in our collective history as a nation, we’ll reflect that the months just past teetered on the edge of a second Winter of Discontent. Wave after wave of industrial action took hold of the public service sector and our members were right there at the forefront, making a stand for themselves, for their patients and for their NHS.
Our members lead by example in their conduct both on and off the picket line – good humoured, always respectful but passionate and impossible to ignore. And so it proved. Six days of strikes and the promise of even more disruptive action to follow finally brought the UK government to the table. Without you, your commitment and belief in your cause, that simply would not have happened.
Amid the often vociferous debate about the proposed offer, and mark that I am in no doubt about the strength of feeling on this subject, this point must not be lost. For the first time in England we used our collective will to shine a spotlight on the plight of our health system, on the many deep-rooted failings in its recruitment and retention policies and reminded those in power that nurses are human beings, not angels or heroes, and that we all have our limits.
I was privileged to spend time with a great many of you on picket lines across our region and the theme that came up time and again was that this was a fight not just for personal pay but for those we work for, namely our patients, and those we work with. This is why we must ensure that we examine all aspects of the government’s offer, not look solely at the pay element, as important as that is. You can read the full details of the offer here.
If you need further information before making your choice, you can join our regional Q&A session on Tuesday 11th where my colleagues and I will do our best to answer your questions. And the NHS Pay FAQs on our website are very comprehensive, covering all aspects of the offer and consultation. They are well worth a look.
It is not for me to tell you how to vote – that is a matter for every individual and we will all have differing priorities and personal circumstances. But I would urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to ensure that you do vote. Your voice is crucial for us to have a clear mandate with which to return to return to the government. Voting is easy – simply visit our website, with your membership number to hand, and you can follow the link to vote from our home page.
Of equal importance to the NHS pay offer is that put to our members on the Isle of Man about their own pay and conditions by employer Manx Care. Their pay offer, which covered both the years 2021/2022 and 2022/2023, was recently rejected by 85% of eligible voters who responded. The island’s branch exec is now in discussion with the wider RCN to discuss next steps and we will, of course, make you aware as soon as we have an update on what comes next.
It can sometimes be hard to remember that there is life outside of the pay campaigns but time stands still for no man (or woman) and our staff and reps are as busy as ever with our usual business.
Day to day that involves providing support in many forms for our members who are experiencing difficulties in their workplace, for any one of a great many reasons. In the past couple of months, our Senior Regional Officer Alan White and our excellent regional legal team, lead by Ferguson Doyle, represented local member Michelle Cox in her employment tribunal against her employer, NHSE&I. The tribunal found in Michelle’s favour, confirming that she had been the victim of discrimination and harassment on account of her race. Our team worked tirelessly to support Michelle and to win her the victory that she deserved. You can read more about this landmark ruling here.
Elsewhere in our ‘business as usual’, we are currently inviting applications for the North West representative on the RCN Students’ Committee and I cannot recommend this highly enough as a development opportunity. There is so much scope to learn, to network and to build confidence, it is very well worth consideration. Read more about the role here.
There is also an opening to find two further members to join our North West Regional Board. We are seeking applications from members from both Greater and Central Manchester as we aim to ensure that all areas of our region are represented in its make up. If this might be of interest then you can read more about the role and how to put yourself forward here.
On the subject of the Regional Board, it would be remiss of me to not thank the outgoing members for their service this past year and welcome the new. We have been joined so far this year by five new faces, adding to some ‘old hands’ who continue to a second term. I’d like to formally welcome Sanjithkumar Nair, Alison Fitzsimons, Mark Jarnell, Deborah Fagan and Adrian Williams. I very much look forward to working with you all.
In May, we will have the opportunity to meet again at this year’s RCN Congress in Brighton. Alongside the opportunity to engage in the Resolutions and Matters for Discussion, there are many other excellent reasons to attend and I look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible at our regional reception. Find the agenda for the five days here.
The annual celebration that is Nurses’ Day is just around the corner and we’ll be announcing our plans in the coming week or two. On the 12th May, chosen to mark the date of Florence Nightingale’s birth, take the opportunity to celebrate the contribution that you and your colleagues make to our society. The reaction throughout both the worst of the Covid pandemic and during our recent strike action shows that the public is more aware and more appreciative than ever about the importance of the job you do and, as such, this will be a day to celebrate and say thank you. Keep an eye on our social media feeds for further information, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
In the spirit of that celebration of nursing, in all its forms, I will close with a reminder that we are all on the same side. Emotions are running high regarding the NHS pay offer, not unreasonably when our livelihoods and future prospects are felt to be under threat, and I would never question anyone’s right to have, and to respectfully voice, an opinion. However, I would urge you to please remember that your elected Council are your colleagues and your peers, nurses just like you, who work tirelessly to promote the interests of our members.
Similarly, a great many of the salaried staff at the RCN are RNs too but all, regardless of their role or career path, are doing their very best to get you the very best. Just as nurses are not angels, behind every organisation is a group of people with feelings and frustrations and their own battles to fight. I ask you, most respectfully, to not lose sight of that fact and to remember at all times where our real battles lie.
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