‘Enough is enough’ : NHS nurses to strike over 'despicable' treatment

The first UK-wide strike ballot conducted by the RCN among its 300,000 members has resulted, the union said, in ‘record numbers of nursing staff prepared to join picket lines this winter’.

Strike action is expected to start in the coming weeks.

Earlier this year, an independent review recommended health staff in the north should get a substantial increase in pay.

This was accepted by former Health Minister Robin Swann, but it emerged that the lack of an Executive has impeded efforts to address the crisis as public sector pay awards could not be set.

In a letter to health care staff as he left office recently, Mr Swann said: “I have advocated throughout my time as Minister for sustained investment to underpin the recovery and transformation of services. Unfortunately, there are currently significant political and budgetary obstacles in the way of progress. I deeply regret that these obstacles have so far held up a pay deal for HSC staff this year.”

Nursing staff in NI first took strike action in 2019 over safe staffing and pay. Action ceased when pay parity with Britain was restored and the NI Executive agreed a framework for safe staffing legislation. Since then, nursing staff here have once again fallen out of pay parity.

RCN Northern Ireland Board Chair, Fiona Devlin said: “Three years after taking strike action, nursing staff in Northern Ireland cannot believe that we are back in exactly the same position.

"Not only has nurses’ pay fallen behind other sectors, but our hard-working staff have not even received the same pay award that colleagues in England and Wales received last month. Unfortunately we believe we have no other choice but to take action.”

Rita Devlin, Director of the RCN in Northern Ireland added: “This is not a decision the RCN has taken lightly, however, our members are telling us that enough is enough. Nursing is a safety critical profession and the nursing workforce crisis will not be solved unless we begin to value and pay our staff fairly.

"It is despicable that nurses in Northern Ireland have once again fallen behind colleagues in the rest of the UK and are being paid less because of the political situation. We are repeatedly hearing reports of unsafe staffing levels and unsustainable pressures on all parts of our health service. This simply cannot continue.”

Hundreds of GMB Union members in Northern Ireland have also voted for strike action, with the union warning that the ‘NHS in Northern Ireland is on life support’.

GMB members working as nurses, ambulance workers, hospital porters, cleaners and caterers, clerical staff, technicians, care workers, social workers and transport workers voted to walk out by a margin of 86%.

The union will now meet with members to discuss next steps, with industrial action possible before Christmas.

Jim Donley, GMB Organiser, said: “This vote for strike action shows the NHS workforce across Northern Ireland are desperate.

“They’ve faced years of real terms pay cuts, a deadly pandemic and now a crushing cost of living crisis. They're being pushed to the limit.

“But more than pay - this is as much about patient safety.”