The proposed pay settlement consists of a consolidated pay uplift of 5% and a non-consolidated (one-off) payment of £1,505 for all pay bands. While the consolidated pay uplift of 5% brings parity to overall pay levels, the non-consolidated element of the pay offer falls short of what was awarded to nursing staff in England.
Nursing staff in Northern Ireland have been waiting for a pay award since April of last year and took strike action in January over the issue. The RCN has been demanding at least a return to pay parity with colleagues in England.
Responding to the announcement, RCN Northern Ireland Director, Rita Devlin said:
“While we acknowledge the 5% consolidated pay uplift for HSC staff, we are extremely disappointed that the non-consolidated element of the pay award falls short of what our colleagues in England received.
“Hard-working nursing staff have been waiting a very long time for the pay situation to be resolved here, showing patience and resilience despite worsening conditions in the health service.
“While we recognise that there has been progress on this issue, many will be disheartened at not receiving the same amount as nursing staff across England. For some, this will leave them hundreds of pounds out of pocket.
“In the longer term this pay award does little to restore the significant reduction in pay nurses have suffered over a decade which has left them worse off. This in turn will make the struggle to retain experienced nursing staff more difficult.
“We will be launching a consultation on this proposed pay settlement with our members shortly and it will be up to each member to look closely at what the pay offer means for them and to decide how to vote.”
