Unite Wales NHS members have voted to reject their 3 per cent pay increase. 64 per cent said they were prepared to take strike action and 80 per cent said that they would take action short of a strike.

Unite represents over 6,000 NHS staff in Wales and balloted all of its NHS members in Wales through a consultative ballot. Members were asked if they accepted the 3 per cent pay increase and whether they were prepared to take part in strike action or action short of a strike. Unite’s NHS membership work in almost every profession in the Welsh NHS including health visiting, estates and maintenance, healthcare science, mental health and speech and language therapy.

Richard Munn, lead officer for NHS in Unite Wales commented: “This consultative ballot clearly demonstrates the strength of feeling amongst Unite members. Unite members regularly express to us how angry they are about the 3 per cent pay increase. After working for 18 months inthe most challenging conditions imaginable they are being offered a pay increase that does not even keep pace with inflation. ‘Taken for granted’, ‘undervalued’ and ‘ignored’ are words frequently used by our membersin the NHS to describe how they are feeling. The incredible pressures of Covid combined with 11 years of sub inflation pay increases have led to our members saying enough is enough.

"After months of lobbying Welsh government on the issue of pay we are pleased to report that meaningful discussions have now started. It is too early to say whether a solution that will satisfy our members will emerge, but Unite is committed to fully engaging in these discussions.

"Our members are some of the most caring and self-sacrificing people in society and for them to get to the point where they are talking about industrial action, demonstrates quite how critical the situation is. Unite genuinelyhopes that industrial action can be avoided but remains open to the possibility of holding a further industrial action ballot if it is required.”

ENDS

For further information please contact Unite press and media on 02920 394521 or [email protected]

  • Notes to editors: Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest trade union with over 1.4 million members working across all sectors of the economy. The General Secretary is Sharon Graham.