NHS strikes: Major unions call off action as pay offer accepted

Strike action by NHS Scotland staff has been called off after members of Unite and Unison voted to accept the Scottish Government’s pay offer.

The pay deal is worth an average 7.5 per cent, with a new minimum wage set at £11.09 per hour.

The offer was accepted by 57 per cent of Unison members and 64 per cent of Unite members.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the deal was a “testament to the resolve of our members”.

She added: “Unite makes no apologies for fighting for better jobs, pay and conditions in the health service because NHS Scotland workers should be fairly rewarded for the outstanding work that they do day in and day out.”

Chair of Unison Scotland’s health committee Wilma Brown said: “Whilst this decision ends the immediate threat of industrial action, it is not a win for government – it is a warning. It was far from a unanimous decision and many of the NHS professional grades feel badly let down.”

She went on to warn of a “staffing crisis” within the health service and has urged health secretary Humza Yousaf to “use the next pay round to resolve the under staffing, low staff morale, and pay”.

The results of the ballots mean planned strike action by Scottish Ambulance Service and some NHS Scotland staff over the festive period will no longer go ahead.

The majority of NHS staff will receive an extra £2,205 per year under the deal.

Yousaf said: “I am delighted that Unite and Unison members have agreed to accept our record pay offer for NHS staff. I am grateful for the positive engagement that has taken place with our trade union colleagues, which has so far averted strike action in our NHS in Scotland.”

Nurses and midwives are still being consulted by their respective trade unions about the pay offer, with results due in the coming days.