Guild’s parent union rejects three-year pay deal for NHS employees
Proposals for a three-year pay deal for NHS staff have been rejected by the union that includes the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists.
Unite, the guild’s parent union, has rejected the proposal
of a cumulative pay increase of nearly 8 per cent over the next three years
(PJ, 12 April 2008, p424), saying that it wants further pay
talks with the Government and NHS Employers.
Kevin Coyne, head of health at Unite, said: “We cannot be tied
to a three-year deal, given the future uncertainties in the economy and
the inflationary pressures that our hard-working members are experiencing
on a daily basis.” Unite also wants to maintain the independence
of the Pay Review Body (PRB) to arbitrate pay on an annual basis.
Unite’s rejection of the pay deal follows a warning from NHS chief
executive David Nicholson that ministers could impose a staged pay award
this year if unions do not accept the pay package.
Dave Thornton, chairman of the terms and conditions committee of the
GHP, emphasised that the guild supports this year’s proposed pay
award of 2.75 per cent, which was in line with the PRB’s recommendation,
but added: “The three-year proposal has too much risk involved
for our members. While the pay offer does have a statement in there to
revisit the deal if inflationary pressures are higher than expected,
this is not a robust safeguard to protect our members from a potential
pay cut in years 2 and 3.”
Dave Miller, vice-president of the guild, said: “Guild council
understands the genuine concerns behind the decision and agrees with
the conclusion not to support this multi-year deal in a period of economic
uncertainty. We also back the need to strengthen and defend the independence
of the PRB to arbitrate pay on an annual basis, including consideration
of additional premiums to deal with the problems of recruitment and retention
due to market forces — ideally without English health ministers
intervening to stage the award.”
He added that members will discuss
the pay deal with Mr Coyne at the joint GHP/United Kingdom Clinical Pharmacy
Association conference next week.
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