After the Welsh government’s failure to start negotiations for better pay and working conditions for nurses, the Royal College of Nursing has confirmed it will strike for two days in December. By Adwitiya Pal
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has today announced that strike action affecting all health boards in Wales bar one will take place on Thursday 15 December and Tuesday 20 December.
The news comes after Welsh Government turned down the RCN’s offer of formal, detailed pay negotiations as an alternative to strike action.
RCN Wales released the results of its ballot for industrial action on 9 November, and nursing staff had overwhelmingly voted to strike across all but one health boards in Wales.
Helen Whyley, RCN Wales’ Director said, “Wales’s First Minister has had more than two weeks since we confirmed our historic result on the RCN’s statutory ballot for industrial action, where our members voted overwhelmingly for strike action. We have been met with silence.”
The union decided to hold the ballots for its member nurses across the country following years of pay suppression in the NHS, increasing staff shortages and deteriorating working conditions for the nurses.
RCN’s research found that nursing staff on NHS’ Agenda for Change contract have seen their pay decrease by at least 20%. With no incentive to work in the debilitating conditions with no pay rises, 25,000 nursing staff around the UK left the Nursing and Midwifery Council register. In Wales alone, there are 3000 vacancies, up from 1719 in 2021.
When the members go on strike in December, it will mark RCN’s first strike in 106 years, making it a tragically historic moment. RCN Wales’ Board Chair, Richard Jones said, “This is the first time in the history of the RCN in Wales that nurses have decided to strike – what more is there to say?”
The Welsh government, following Downing Street’s decision, has offered a pay rise of £1400, or just 72p an hour to health workers including nurses. Instead, RCN is calling for a pay rise of approximately 17%, or 5% above inflation. Unfortunately, the Government has refused to come to the table to open dialogue with the union.
The First Minister has reiterated that they rely on the UK Government for funding for NHS Wales. However, the RCN point out that health is a devolved matter and that the Welsh Government has the budget to appropriately award the overworked nursing staff.
In the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced that Wales will receive an additional £1.2 billion worth of funds over the next two years to help people through the cost of living crisis. However, the Welsh Government has not made it clear if it is planning to use it for paying the nurses.
On Wednesday, Rhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid Cymru’s Deputy Leader, called the Labour Government to ‘utilise every devolved lever at its disposal to to make an improved pay offer for NHS nurses in Wales’.
“Even UK government’s has negotiated to no avail. But why on earth will the labour Welsh health minister not bring everyone back around the table through the wealth partnership forum that’s there for this exact purpose,” said Rhun ap Iorweth in the Plenary in Senned. “What I’m seeing is a government preparing for the nurses strike action when we should have a government trying to avert that strike action in the first place.”
RCN had announced its 5-day ultimatum to the Health Minister Eluned Morgan on Thursday. The union’s announcement for the strike dates comes today following no response or intention to engage in negotiations by the Minister.
RCN Wales Board Chair Richard Jones said, “We have given every opportunity to put a stop to what is a last resort for nursing staff, but the time has now come to stand up for our nurses who are pushed to their limits and patients who are suffering as a result of lack of planning and investment in the workforce.”
Other unions with NHS staff like UNISON, Union and GMB are also currently balloting their members for strike action, with most of their results expected in December. If the workers vote to strike, it could result in thousands of NHS staff engaging in mass walkouts over pay and intolerable conditions.
