Two Angus nurses are taking their seven-year battle for fair pay to Holyrood today after accusing NHS Tayside of failing to deliver a promised rise.
District nurses Cathy Fugaccia and Shona Middleton were upgraded to a higher pay band in 2018 but say NHS Tayside refused to honour the rise of around £7,000 a year.
The refusal to award the pay rise due to their expanded roles has cost the nurses more than £50,000, they say.
Trade union GMB Scotland said long-running discussions led nowhere and the nurses will today seek the support of MSPs at the Scottish Parliament.
North East MSP Michael Marra is supporting the nurses and Scottish Labour party leader Anas Sarwar is expected to meet them.
One of the nurses, Ms Middleton, who has been a district nurse in Monifeith for almost 28 years, said: “We are nurses not political campaigners and would much rather not have to go to Holyrood but we refuse to give up.
“It is not just about us. It is about all NHS Scotland staff being treated with fairness and respect.
“Managers should not be allowed to choose which of their promises to keep and which to break.
“We have spent our whole lives nursing and it is beyond disappointing that we have been left in this position.
Employment tribunal
“We will tell MSPs at Holyrood what we have been telling the health board for almost seven years now that this is not a complicated issue.”
An employment tribunal is due to hear the women’s claim in March but, even if they win, the nurses can only be awarded two years of back pay instead of seven.
Karen Leonard, GMB Scotland union organiser in NHS Scotland, said: “The health board have wilfully made this issue seem far more complicated than it is.
“It could not be more simple. It is about two nurses recognised to be working at a higher grade and promised a pay rise that never came.
Ms Fugaccia, who has been a district nurse since 1993, told The Courier previously that the ongoing struggle for recognition has taken a personal toll.
She said: “We have our job to do, but for years, this issue has been a constant burden.
“It’s exhausting. After finishing work, I spend hours writing emails to explain things that have already been explained time and time again.”
NHS Tayside said previously the district nurse job evaluation was being reviewed nationally.
“During these meetings, detailed explanations and clarifications were provided about the reasons for the job evaluation outcomes,” NHS Tayside added.
“These discussions also outlined the options that remain available to staff.”
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