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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| NHS staff to strike in new year | NHS staff to strike in new year |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| There will be a fresh wave of strikes across the NHS in England in new year, it has been announced. | There will be a fresh wave of strikes across the NHS in England in new year, it has been announced. |
| NHS workers, including nurses and porters, will strike for 12 hours on 29 January and again on 25 February. | NHS workers, including nurses and porters, will strike for 12 hours on 29 January and again on 25 February. |
| Staff from 12 unions have already taken strike action in October and November this year as part of a long-running dispute over pay. | Staff from 12 unions have already taken strike action in October and November this year as part of a long-running dispute over pay. |
| Meanwhile, ambulance staff in England and Northern Ireland are considering a two-day walk out on 29-30 January. | Meanwhile, ambulance staff in England and Northern Ireland are considering a two-day walk out on 29-30 January. |
| Ministers in England have awarded NHS staff a 1% increase, but only for those without automatic progression-in-the-job rises. | Ministers in England have awarded NHS staff a 1% increase, but only for those without automatic progression-in-the-job rises. |
| Automatic pay rises are given to about half of all staff. They are designed to reward professional development and are worth 3% a year on average. | Automatic pay rises are given to about half of all staff. They are designed to reward professional development and are worth 3% a year on average. |
| An independent pay review board had said the 1% increase should be across the board. | An independent pay review board had said the 1% increase should be across the board. |
| Further action | Further action |
| Unison announced that its NHS members in England will walk out for 12 hours from 09:00 GMT on 29 January. | Unison announced that its NHS members in England will walk out for 12 hours from 09:00 GMT on 29 January. |
| They will then work-to-rule between 30 January and 24 February during which they will work only their contracted hours, take all breaks and do no unpaid overtime. | They will then work-to-rule between 30 January and 24 February during which they will work only their contracted hours, take all breaks and do no unpaid overtime. |
| Unison said this would be followed by a 24-hour strike on 25 February. | Unison said this would be followed by a 24-hour strike on 25 February. |
| Christina McAnea, head of health at Unison, said: "Our members' pay has been frozen or held down for the past five years and there is no end in sight. On average, they have lost around 10% in the value of their pay over the life of this parliament. | Christina McAnea, head of health at Unison, said: "Our members' pay has been frozen or held down for the past five years and there is no end in sight. On average, they have lost around 10% in the value of their pay over the life of this parliament. |
| "We now have no option but to escalate and plan for longer strikes." | "We now have no option but to escalate and plan for longer strikes." |
| The GMB says it is holding urgent talks to consider a two-day strike in the ambulance service in England and Northern Ireland on 29 and 30 January. | The GMB says it is holding urgent talks to consider a two-day strike in the ambulance service in England and Northern Ireland on 29 and 30 January. |
| Rehana Azam, the NHS national officer for the GMB, said: "It is regrettable that GMB has no alternative but to escalate the strike action in the NHS. | Rehana Azam, the NHS national officer for the GMB, said: "It is regrettable that GMB has no alternative but to escalate the strike action in the NHS. |
| "The Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, is acting irresponsibly with a continued entrenched position by not engaging in any meaningful talks with the health unions. | "The Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, is acting irresponsibly with a continued entrenched position by not engaging in any meaningful talks with the health unions. |
| "Further stoppages across the NHS are inevitable should Jeremy Hunt continue to refuse to hold discussions to settle the pay dispute, a dispute created by him when he dismissed an independent pay review body's recommendation for NHS staff pay." | "Further stoppages across the NHS are inevitable should Jeremy Hunt continue to refuse to hold discussions to settle the pay dispute, a dispute created by him when he dismissed an independent pay review body's recommendation for NHS staff pay." |
| A spokesperson from the Department of Health spokesperson said the news of forthcoming strikes was disappointing. | |
| "NHS staff are our greatest asset and we want to make the current pay system fairer - which is why we have put forward proposals that would guarantee all staff would get at least a 1% pay rise this year and next, but these have been rejected by the unions. | |
| "We have taken tough decisions to increase the NHS budget, but we can't afford a consolidated pay rise in addition to increments without risking 10,000 frontline jobs." | |
| Are you an NHS worker in England? Will you be taking part in forthcoming industrial action? Email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk | Are you an NHS worker in England? Will you be taking part in forthcoming industrial action? Email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk |
| Have your say | Have your say |