RCN Wales strike action due to take place in Wales on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 February has been cancelled, following an offer to increase the award already made for 2022/23 by 3% (1.5% consolidated) to nursing staff on agenda for change contracts. The new offer is backdated to April 2022.
The proposal follows negotiations this week between the RCN and other health trade unions and the Welsh government. Included in this revised package are a number of commitments to enhance staff well-being, on which negotiations will continue next week. The offer will be put to a vote of RCN members working for the NHS in Wales within days.
RCN Wales Director, Helen Whyley, said: “Our strike action in December has clearly been effective as the Welsh government has listened to the issues facing nursing in Wales and put forward an increased offer for nurses pay and thus avoided the strikes planned for next week.
“Industrial action continues to be a last resort for nurses, and I have heard their stories of the personal sacrifice they make every day fighting for safe care for their patients that pushed them to vote for strike action. The pressure put on the Welsh government by our members has been key to these negotiations moving forward.
Our elected members have agreed that strike action next week should be cancelled and that we should put forward this offer to our members in Wales for them to decide whether it truly respects and values the nursing profession. The Health Minister should be under no illusion that we will not hesitate to return to strike action should the offer be rejected.”
Our colleagues in England will go ahead with planned strike action on the 6 and 7 February as no further discussions have been offered by the Westminster government.
In Northern Ireland, staff and members continue to support colleagues in this phased, UK-wide dispute. In the absence of a devolved administration, decisions on further strike action in Northern Ireland will be taken in the coming weeks if there is no movement from the UK government to commence negotiations on pay.
The announcement of dates for strike action in Scotland was paused in mid-January after the Scottish government reopened pay negotiations with the RCN and other health trade unions. The overwhelming mandate for strike action from RCN members in Scotland forced the Scottish government to commit to further negotiations.
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