More than 154,000 NHS Scotland staff are to be offered a pay rise of at least 4% by the Scottish government.
The move will benefit employees with contracts under the Agenda for Change system, which would also give staff at the lowest pay point a 5.4% increase.
Agenda for Change is the national pay system for all NHS staff, with the exception of doctors, dentists and most senior managers.
Staff on pay bands 1 to 7 are due to receive at least a 4% pay rise compared with 2020/21, with workers earning less than £25,000 in 2020/21 guaranteed a minimum increase of more than £1,000 in 2021/22.
First minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted late on Wednesday: “Our NHS staff deserve more than applause and 1% is not enough.
“@scotgov is offering a 4% pay rise, which would deliver guaranteed minimum increase of £1,000 for those earning less than £25,000 & 5.4% increase for staff on lowest pay band … and all backdated to December 2020.”
Among those included in Agenda for Change are nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals, as well as domestic, healthcare support staff, porters and other frontline workers.
The Scottish government says the deal, if accepted, will be the “most generous National Health Service pay uplift anywhere in the UK”.
Nursing staff in England, by contrast, have been offered a 1% pay rise by Boris Johnson’s government – a real terms pay cut.
Health secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Following positive discussions with NHS unions and employees, the Scottish government has put forward an offer of the biggest single pay uplift since devolution for NHS Agenda for Change staff.
“Over 154,000 staff would benefit from this rise, which would see the average pay of a frontline NHS nurse rise by over £1,200 a year.
“This deal also includes support staff such as domestic staff, porters and healthcare support workers, the backbone of our services, who would see pay rises of over £1,000 – uplifts of between 4% and 5.4%.
“The uplift will be backdated from 1 December 2020, rather than the usual 1 April 2021, meaning all those covered by the deal will receive an extra benefit.
“This has been an exceptionally challenging year for our health service and I am pleased that the Scottish government is able to recognise the service and dedication of our healthcare staff.”
NHS workers in Scotland previously received a one-off £500 payment from the Scottish government as a thank you for their work during the coronavirus pandemic.
Colin Poolman of the Royal College of Nursing described the timescale for negotiations as “tight, as a result of the forthcoming election, but we have now received an offer for a one-year pay deal”.
Willie Duffy, Unison regional organiser, added: “Each of the individual trade unions will now enter into discussions with their members on the offer.”
from Indian News Websites https://ift.tt/3fiylJ7
via IFTTT
Post a Comment
Post a Comment