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TRADE union leaders are meeting at the TUC in central London today to discuss their response to meetings held yesterday with Tory ministers where they faced ‘insulting’ calls for increased productivity in return for any pay increase.
RCN leaders came out of the meetings saying that Tory ‘intransigence’ means that nurses’ strike action will continue.
While the talks were taking place, it was reported on broadcasting media that the Tory government intends to bring new anti-union legislation before parliament this week – probably on Thursday.
The legislation is expected to impose a ‘minimum service level’ requirement on unions taking strike action and to allow employers to sack striking workers.
Coming out of the meeting with ministers yesterday, Onay Kasab, Unite Lead National Officer, said: ‘We came here in good faith, but what they want to talk about is productivity – productivity when our members are working 18-hour shifts!
‘How you become more productive than that I don’t know. Despite us showing up in good faith, the government has missed yet another opportunity to put this right.
‘What will happen now is that the strike action taking place by Unite members, our ambulance workers, will proceed.
‘For the government to be talking about productivity in exchange for a pay award is an insult to every single one of our members.
‘You all know what is going on in hospitals at the moment. You all know how hard everybody is working.’
Sara Gorton, Unison Head of Health said: ‘It was a very civil meeting. We didn’t get to talk about pay or a tangible offer that would have enabled us to call off the strikes that are arranged for later this month. That would take boosting pay ahead of 1st April.’
RCN Director of Employment Relations and Legal Services, Joanne Galbraith-Marten, said: ‘There is no resolution to our dispute yet in sight. Today’s meeting was bitterly disappointing – nothing for the current year and repeating that “the budget is already set” for next year. This intransigence is letting patients down. Ministers have a distance to travel to avert next week’s nurse strike.’
Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said: ‘Today’s talks fell well short of anything substantial that could stop this week’s strikes. More than 10,000 ambulance workers will go on strike as planned on Wednesday despite talks with the Health Secretary today.
‘There was some engagement on pay – but not a concrete offer that could help resolve this dispute and make significant progress on the recruitment and retention crisis. The public expects the government to treat these talks seriously – it’s time they got on with it.’
Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: ‘If the government wants to avoid industrial action then there is only a small window of opportunity before the NEU declares its ballot result and its plans for action.
‘There is a big problem in teacher and support staff recruitment and retention in schools, sixth forms and nurseries. There will have to be a correction on pay levels to avoid growing problems in our schools. We believe the government knows this, the only question is how much damage is caused to education before the government acts.
‘We urge all NEU members to vote in our ballot – we need to keep the pressure up.’
NEU Joint General Secretary Dr Mary Bousted said: ‘The pay review body mechanism has not worked for teachers who have seen nearly a quarter of their pay lost in ten years. We want a 12% pay rise this year. The government has only met half of its teacher recruitment target this year. Children are bearing the brunt of this crisis.
As the British Medical Association launched its strike ballot yesterday, BMA Deputy Chair Dr Emma Runswick said: (Health Secretary) ‘Steve Barclay is down to meet with us on Wednesday but only to discuss a very narrow set of things.
‘He’s talking about the evidence that the government will submit to the pay review body. Unfortunately they’ve already submitted their remit letter to the pay review body telling us and them that that we should only receive 2% next year.
‘That’s another massive pay cut after we’ve had a pay cut this year and for the previous 15 years.’
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