Scotland's largest health union UNISON to consult members on below-inflation pay offer

15th June 2022

UNISON, the union for NHS staff, has said it will consult its health members on a ‘disappointing' pay offer of 5 per cent.

The joint unions had submitted a pay claim asking for an above-inflation pay rise.

Wilma Brown, chair of UNISON's Scottish Health Committee, said: "This pay offer falls well below the current level of inflation and is a real-terms pay cut for health workers.

"Our members will want to know why NHS staff on the highest pay bands will receive a rise of more than £5,500 per year while hard working domestics, porters, nursing assistants and others on the lowest bands are only deemed to be worth circa £1,000 per year.

“We have made it clear to the Scottish Government that our members will be disappointed and we will now be consulting our members on next steps. We would urge all of our members to look out for their ballot in the coming weeks."

Kay Sillars, UNISON Scotland’s regional manager, said: “This will come as a blow to health workers who are already struggling to make ends meet as day-to-day living expenses continue to rise. Achieving a significant pay increase is essential to support the retention of current staff and to stem the flow of staff leaving NHS Scotland over the next year. We already have 6,500 nursing vacancies across the country and offering health workers another real-terms pay cut is only storing up future problems for the NHS."