Following the pay discussions this afternoon between the Department of Health and the health trade unions, Pat Cullen, Director of the RCN in Northern Ireland said:
“The revised pay offer for 2019-2020 tabled by the Department of Health this afternoon falls significantly short of our members’ requirements. Nurses have made it clear that they expect pay parity with England and Wales, as well as concrete measures to address the nurse staffing crisis in Northern Ireland. These expectations are the basis of our industrial action.
“Despite the intervention of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with whom the RCN met earlier today, it is clear that Department of Health officials are still incapable of grasping either the severity of the crisis in our health service or the determination of nurses and other health staff to secure safe staffing and pay equality.
“Nurses are no longer prepared to listen to the same excuses from the Department of Health about budgets and/or not having the ministerial authority to deliver an acceptable pay award even if the money were available. Our health service is collapsing as we speak. It is simply not good enough for civil servants to continue to play with words and fail to take effective action to resolve this crisis. The RCN believes the gap between what the Department is offering and what nurses expect in terms of pay parity can be achieved.
“The RCN has consistently stressed its willingness to continue discussions with the Department of Health. The Department must, however, be prepared to formulate proposals that actually address the issues nurses have highlighted.
“The two day programme of industrial action short of strike action by RCN members scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday will proceed.”
