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NHS pay plans criticised by health unions NHS pay proposal criticised by health unions
(about 3 hours later)
Unions have criticised plans to impose further squeezes on NHS pay in England. Unions have criticised proposals to halt an increase in NHS pay in England.
Chancellor George Osborne had already capped rises across the public sector at a below-inflation 1%, but the Department of Health wants to withhold the increase for its 1.3m staff. Rises across the public sector have been capped at 1%, but the Department of Health wants to withhold this increase for its 1.3m staff.
Instead it proposes using the funding intended for the 1% rise to "modernise" pay structures. It has told the NHS pay review body the rise is not affordable alongside the current system of small, automatic annual rises.
Health trusts are under pressure to make savings and the NHS wage bill accounts for around 40% of its budget. Rachael Maskell, of the Unite trade union, said staff deserved the pay reward for "holding the NHS together".
In its submission to the NHS pay review body, the government says the planned 1% award is not affordable alongside the current system of small, automatic annual rises. Health trusts are currently under pressure to make savings and the NHS wage bill accounts for around 40% of its budget.
The Department of Health (DoH) proposes using the funding intended for the 1% rise to "modernise" pay structures.
It says these increments - linked to length of service and satisfactory performance - add £700m to salary costs.It says these increments - linked to length of service and satisfactory performance - add £700m to salary costs.
And it points to a staff survey suggesting high levels of motivation and morale. The plans, which were outlined in the DoH's submission to two independent pay review bodies, have been criticised by Unite.
"The government's view, therefore, remains that basic pay increases should only be implemented if there is strong evidence that recruitment, retention, morale or motivation issues require this." Ms Maskell said: "The Department of Health have got other choices. They're entering into a re-organisation which is costing £3bn, which nobody asked for and isn't adding anything to patient care.
'Inflammatory' "It is about choices and the NHS staff have already had two years of a pay freeze - 1% last year - and, quite frankly, are really falling behind inflation now with their wages."
The Department of Health wants the pay review bodies - which are due to make a recommendation on pay early next year - to defer the planned 1% pay rise until it has negotiated a move to seven-day working with unions. Ms Maskell told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that motivation and morale was down among frontline health workers.
But staff representatives reacted angrily to the plans. "The reality is that staff do deserve this pay reward because they're holding the NHS together at this very difficult time," she said.
However, in its submission to the NHS pay review body, the DoH points to a staff survey suggesting high levels of motivation and morale.
"The government's view, therefore, remains that basic pay increases should only be implemented if there is strong evidence that recruitment, retention, morale or motivation issues require this," the department says in its written submission.
'Inflammatory' plan
The department wants the pay review bodies - which are due to make a recommendation on pay in February or March - to defer the planned 1% pay rise until it has negotiated a move to seven-day working with unions.
But staff representatives have reacted angrily to the plans.
"What they have done is inflammatory," said Christina McAnea, head of health at Unison and joint chair of the NHS Staff Council."What they have done is inflammatory," said Christina McAnea, head of health at Unison and joint chair of the NHS Staff Council.
"They must have known how unions would react. We are not going to negotiate while a gun is held to our head for a paltry 1% pay rise - our members will not react well to that.""They must have known how unions would react. We are not going to negotiate while a gun is held to our head for a paltry 1% pay rise - our members will not react well to that."
Dr Mark Porter, chair of the BMA Council added: "We recognise fully the economic constraints the NHS is working under but the continued erosion in the real value of contracts for doctors has now reached a critical point." Dr Mark Porter, chairman of the BMA Council added: "We recognise fully the economic constraints the NHS is working under but the continued erosion in the real value of contracts for doctors has now reached a critical point."
However, a Department of Health spokeswoman said no decisions had been made and stressed that the proposals would "help protect jobs and improve care". And he told the Guardian newspaper that it was "insulting at best" for the government to "imply that unless NHS staff endure what is effectively another year of pay cuts they will put patient safety at risk".
'Affordable' service
However, a DoH spokeswoman said no decisions had been made and stressed that the proposals would "help protect jobs and improve care".
She said: "Many NHS staff have continued to receive pay rises of up to 6% and we want to keep working with the trade unions and employers on affordable pay.She said: "Many NHS staff have continued to receive pay rises of up to 6% and we want to keep working with the trade unions and employers on affordable pay.
"The measures we are proposing will help increase quality for patients and help us realise our vision of an affordable seven-day service.""The measures we are proposing will help increase quality for patients and help us realise our vision of an affordable seven-day service."
'Blames staff' Setting out the government's spending plans in June, Chancellor George Osborne said ministers were working to "remove automatic pay rises" for teachers, health professionals, prison and police staff.
Setting out the government's spending plans in June, the chancellor said ministers were working to "remove automatic pay rises" for teachers, health professionals, prison and police staff.
The department drew attention to Mr Osborne's comments and confirmed it wanted NHS pay to have "stronger links to performance, quality and productivity".The department drew attention to Mr Osborne's comments and confirmed it wanted NHS pay to have "stronger links to performance, quality and productivity".
But Rachael Maskell, from the Unite union told the Guardian newspaper Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt could be "trying to act in an even more draconian way than the Treasury with regards to staff who work across the NHS."
She added: "He blames the staff on a regular basis. Now he wants to further cut their terms and conditions."
Dr Porter told the newspaper: "For the government to imply that unless NHS staff endure what is effectively another year of pay cuts they will put patient safety at risk is insulting at best."