Unison Announce Official NHS Strike Pay Ballot

12th August 2022

NHS union UNISON has announced today (Friday 12 August 2022) that it will officially ballot its 50,000 NHS members in Scotland over pay. The ballot will open on 3 October.

The announcement comes as UNISON confirmed the results of it's digital consultation on pay. A consultative ballot is the first stage of the process toward industrial action. To take strike action the union must now run a postal ballot.

In a letter to the First Minister the union confirmed that 83% of its members had voted to take industrial action over pay after a government offer of 5% increase across the board.

Wilma Brown, chair UNISON Scotland Health Committee said: "UNISON members have spoken loud and clear. They worked flat out during the pandemic and were promised so much by politicians and yet when it comes to the crunch our domestics, caterers, porters and other low paid members are only worth an extra £900 per year. Our members in nursing were offered less than £1500 whilst senior managers are offered more than £5000 in the same pay deal. So much for all staff being valued equally."

Matt McLaughlin, UNISON Scotland head of health called on the First Minister to intervene and avoid strikes. He said: "This is the first time since devolution that NHS workers have been balloted for strike over pay, the First Minister must step in now to ensure that UNISON members get a fair deal on pay and that we avoid the need for workplace stoppages as we approach the winter."

UNISON represents 50,000 NHS workers across the Agenda for Change pay agreement including nurses, midwives and support staff such as domestics, porters and admin workers. The union has membership in every health board in Scotland.

Results from the Royal College of Nursing's (RCN) indicative ballot show that a massive 90% voted to reject the Scottish Government's recent pay offer. It also showed the majority are willing to take part in strike action.

The strike ballot has been called following an overwhelming response from members across all NHS Scotland employers to reject the pay offer from the Scottish government - over 90% said it simply isn't good enough.

We had asked for a fully funded pay rise of 5% above inflation, to combat years of wage stagnation and the cost-of-living crisis. Instead, the government made a much lower pay offer of 5% for the majority of NHS staff.

The number of members voting on the pay offer more than doubled compared to a similar ballot last year. Members were also asked to indicate their willingness to take part in industrial action with the majority voting in favour of taking strike action.

This is an unprecedented demonstration of the strength of feeling amongst nursing staff right now and the RCN Scotland Board, Trade Union Committee and Council agreed that there was no option but to begin preparations for a statutory ballot on industrial strike action.