NHS paramedics, nurses and hospital managers who are part of Unison have accepted the government’s pay offer

Paramedics, nurses and hospital managers in England who are members of Unison have accepted the government’s pay offer.

It ends the dispute that led to a strike by tens of thousands of union members in the winter months and thus to massive disruptions in the health system.

The offer covers two salary years, with employees receiving a five percent salary increase this year and a one-off bonus for the final year.

It comes ahead of an announcement this afternoon from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) demanding an 18 per cent pay rise if its members accepted the same pay offer.

The RCN, which completed its membership vote at 9am this morning, expects nurses to have rejected it and plans to hold another vote on a new wave of strikes, reports say.

It ends the dispute in which tens of thousands of union members went on strike during the winter months, causing massive disruption to the health care system.

Unison polled around 288,000 NHS workers across England and polls closed at 3pm this afternoon.

Just over half (152,329) took part with 112,458 yes votes and 39,871 no votes.

Almost three-quarters (74 percent) accepted the wage offer.

Sara Gorton, the union’s head of health, said: “It is clear that health workers would like more, but this was the best that could be achieved through negotiations.

“In recent weeks, health professionals have weighed up the offer. You chose the certainty of having the extra money in your pocket quickly.

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Pictured: NHS junior doctors on strike outside the Royal Berkshire Hospital on April 14

“It is unfortunate that it took several months of strike action before the government started negotiations.

Unions told ministers last summer that the £1,400 pay rise was not enough to prevent staff leaving the NHS, nor to prevent strikes. But they didn’t want to listen.”

She said NHS workers were “forced to strike” and “lost money they could not afford”, while the health service and patients “suffered months of unnecessary disruption”.

Ms Gorton called on the Government, which is still consulting with other unions representing health workers, to “ensure NHS workers get the pay rises they voted for as soon as possible”.

She added: “This vote may end the UNISON dispute but it will not solve the wider staffing crisis which affects every part of the NHS. Now the Government must work with unions to deliver a sustained workforce investment program in set.

“You have to learn too. The mistakes of the past few months cannot be repeated. It’s time for a whole new approach to reward recruitment in the NHS.

The lump sum payment for 2022/23 will pay staff between £1,655 and £3,789, depending on salary.

This equates to 8.2 per cent for the lowest earners and around 6 per cent for nurses and midwives.

This comes on top of the £1,400 NHS staff received last September for 2022/23.

The 2023/24 pay rise is worth at least £1,065 and will take the lowest hourly rate in the NHS in England to £11.45 an hour, or £22,383 a year.

A government spokesman said: “The decision by members of Unison, the largest NHS union, to accept the pay offer recommended by their leadership shows that it is a fair and reasonable proposal that can end this dispute.

Under the offer, an Agenda for Change employee at the Band 6 entry point – such as a physiotherapist, paramedic or midwife – will receive more than £5,100 last year and this year, with more than £2,000 in bonus payments arriving concurrently in salaries. through the summer.

“Hundreds of thousands of Agenda for Change workers will continue to vote for other unions over the next two weeks and we hope this generous offer will secure their support.”