The health minister is looking forward to renewed talks with health workers’ unions as nurses will soon announce more strikes next month.
Steve Barclay is set to meet again with union leaders amid growing hopes for a deal that will end union action to pressure the NHS during a harsh winter crisis, with thousands of paramedics fired again on Wednesday over wages.
The government’s stance appears to have softened following Monday’s talks, and Mr Barclay is currently considering a proposal from union negotiators to delay next year’s NHS pay deal to January.
A one-time payment is also being considered in Whitehall, although Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has not yet been asked to sign the new deal.
A senior government source denied reports that Mr Hunt had dismissed a possible compromise that would see nurses receive either a lump sum or retroactive payment, adding that the proposals had not yet reached the Chancellor.
sources said I that Mr. Barclay hoped that new talks with the health unions could be held privately in the coming days, with neither side informing the media of the demands, proposals, or what was being discussed.
Mr Barclay will also hold separate talks Thursday with the British Medical Association over wages with potential doctors, possibly the next health strikers, after the union accused the health minister of canceling scheduled talks on Wednesday morning so he could send interviews. , to save.
This was in honor of the Secretary General of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Pat Cullen, who resolutely that negotiations should be “fast-tracked” because “the clock is ticking fast” as more strikes are scheduled “very early” next month unless higher pay is offered to nurses.
Mr Barclay on Wednesday dismissed calls for a renewal of this year’s pay deal, insisting it would be wrong “to go back to April and look back to April when we’re already working on this year’s Pay Review Board” .
However, he hinted that a shorter retroactive effect could be on the horizon, telling Sky News: “The unions protested about this and the prime minister said over the weekend that nothing had been decided.”
Meanwhile, former health secretary Steve Russell, now chair of the Commons Health Select Committee, reiterated repeated calls for a “faster” pay review process to set wages for 2023-24, saying that year’s lump sum is “still under discussion” . within the government.”
This comes amid clashes between the government and trade unions over a new minimum service law introduced by ministers.
Unison union head Sarah Gorton said the law would “strengthen” labor relations in many sectors.
“I think what will really irritate healthcare workers is that Unison and other unions have been wanting to talk to the government for over a decade about a legal minimum for healthcare workers,” she said of the picket line.
“It seems that the government is only ready to talk about personnel when it comes to the demonization of medical workers.”
But Mr. Barclay has criticized unions representing ambulance workers for failing to agree on national minimum levels of safety.
“There is a clear difference between what we saw with RCN taking precautions across the country to ensure safety and what we saw with ambulance strikes where I stayed until midnight last night when I got a call to say what measures will be taken for space. “.
Meanwhile, NHS physiotherapists were the latest to go on strike, with two strikes across England scheduled for January 26 and February 9, the Chartered Physical Therapy Society said.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.