The government has been accused of ‘snatching away’ a 2.1 per cent pay rise for NHS staff promised prior to the coronavirus pandemic
(Justin Tallis/PA)
The government has been accused of rowing back on promises of a 2.1 per cent pay rise for health staff prior to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Royal College of Nursing – the main nurses’ union – has set up a £35 million fund for nurses preparing to strike in protest against a recommended one per cent pay increase, while Unite, which represents tens of thousands of NHS workers, is also warning of industrial action.
NHS Providers, which represents all NHS trusts, claimed the government had factored in the larger pay rise for 2021-22 as it too challenged the government’s insistence that one per cent is all it can afford amid the current economic climate.
The British public is being urged to join a mass slow handclap in protest against the government’s proposed pay rise.
Unison, which is the largest union in the UK, said people should stand on their doorsteps and balconies at 8pm on Thursday to show what they think about the “derisory” wage plan.
England’s lockdown ‘a success’ but country is ‘not out of the woods’
The head of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said the lockdown has been a “success” but the country is “still not out of the woods”.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme there had been “very strong reductions everywhere”, although in the North East and East of England the decline had “flattened off, potentially”, unlike in the South West and South East which have continued with a decline in cases.
The UK’s national statistician added: “I think this lockdown has been a success but at the same time, while we have seen major reductions, we are still relatively high.
“I’m in very much the view that we should do everything we can not to blow it nationally.
“We have done fantastically well in the last couple of months but we are not completely out of the woods yet.”
Chiara Giordano6 March 2021 09:21
British public urged to back mass slow handclap over 1% pay rise for NHS staff
The British public is being urged to join a mass slow handclap on Thursday in protest against the government’s proposed 1 per cent pay rise for NHS staff.
Unison has announced the plan to mark opposition to the “insulting” size of the planned increase for health service staff – which has sparked a furious backlash since it emerged from chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget.
Chiara Giordano6 March 2021 09:09
Boris Johnson accused of ditching NHS pay rise promise
The government is embroiled in a row over a one per cent pay rise for NHS staff.
NHS Providers, which represents all NHS trusts, has said the government had planned a 2.1 per cent pay increase for health workers prior to the coronavirus pandemic.
Unions representing tens of thousands of nurses and other NHS staff are now preparing to strike.
Reporter Samuel Lovett and policy correspondent Jon Stone have more details:
Chiara Giordano6 March 2021 09:07
Good morning and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus crisis. Stay tuned for rolling updates and statistics throughout the day.
Chiara Giordano6 March 2021 08:55
