As nurses vote to strike, how close to walking out this winter are other health workers in Tayside and Fife?

By Cara Forrester

November 9 2022, 4:30pm

Nurses from RCN have voted for strike. Image: Shutterstock.

Nurses in Tayside and Fife have voted to take strike action over their pay and patient concerns.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) board announced today they had formally rejected the revised pay offer.

It’s the first statutory ballot on industrial action across the UK in the 106-year history of the RCN.

Industrial action for RCN members is expected to begin before the end of this year.

Will staff be on strike during winter? Image: Shutterstock.

The new pay offer for all NHS staff was only put on the table from health secretary Humza Yousaf just two weeks ago.

And there’s been overwhelming discontent from staff over Scottish Government’s pay offers so far.

Story towards strike

NHS workers across Tayside and Fife – from porters and healthcare assistants to paramedics and senior nurses – voted to reject the offer of a 5% rise at the start of October.

Strike ballot papers were then sent to members of the different unions.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf then announced a new deal offering every NHS worker a £2205 increase.

At that point, Unison paused their strike ballot to consult members on the new deal on the table.

Welcome @unisonscot decision to suspend their strike ballot & accept members should absolutely have their say on record pay deal

Hope NHS staff will accept a deal giving every NHS worker a £2205 increase, amounting to 7% increase overall & gives our lowest paid an over 11% rise https://t.co/QIvNXXWLEz

— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) October 26, 2022

But today, the RCN board decided the strength of feeling of their members left them with no choice but to reject the offer.

They say the revised offer from the Scottish Government represents another real-terms pay cut.

RCN General Secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen says: “Anger has become action, our members are saying enough is enough.”

RCN says members are “angry.” Image: Shutterstock.

Julie Lamberth, RCN Scotland board chair, adds the failure to workforce plan and value those working in health and social care has led to this.

She says: “The result of our strike ballot is a wake-up call that must not be ignored.”

What happens next for RCN members?

RCN industrial action is expected to begin before the end of this year.

Their mandate to organise strikes runs until early May 2023, six months after their members finished voting.

What do other unions say?

Unite tell us their members rejected the new offer and have delivered a mandate for industrial action across numerous boards, including Tayside and Fife.

And Unison say their ballot on the new offer closes on November 14 and they’ll announce the result of it straight away.

Wilma Brown of Unison Scotland health committee says: “If the result is to reject the offer, we will enter, along with other unions, into negotiations with the Scottish Government again.

“Unison are also preparing to run another ballot for industrial action.”