WARRINGTON North MP Charlotte Nichols has slammed the proposed 1 percent pay rise as an “immoral pay cut” and is calling for the Chancellor to “do the right thing” for NHS workers.
Following his Budget on Wednesday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has come under fire from various quarters, including the British Medical Association, for delivering a real-terms cut to the wages of NHS staff.
The 1% pay rise would be outweighed by the increase in inflation which is expected to be 1.5%, thereby reducing the take-home pay of the doctors, nurses and staff who have contributed so much during this pandemic.
The British Medical Association has described this as a ‘kick in the teeth.’ While earlier today Health Minister Nadine Dorries responded by saying that 1% isthe most we think we can afford.’
Ms Nichols said: “All of us owe an incredible debt of gratitude to the heroic NHS workers who have got us through this crisis.
“As we clapped for them last spring, NHS staff were working incredibly long shifts to keep the British people safe. And when we stayed at home they were going to work every day to save lives.
“The Chancellor thinks it’s enough to simply clap for NHS workers, we know that the least we can do is to pay them properly too.
“Not only is this the right thing to do- it also makes economic sense. The NHS is the biggest employer in the country so putting more money into the pockets of staff stimulates demand in our economy and means more money is spent in local businesses.
“The Chancellor must do the right thing and give a proper pay rise to NHS workers in Warrington and across the country.”
Meanwhile Nursing unions are thretaening to go on strike with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) setting up a £35 million fund to support industrial action. The union, which represents nurses, midwives and nursing students, has 450,000 members.
Members will have to be balloted before any strike action is called, although it is understood that the union believes a strike is a realistic possibility given the strain NHS staff have been under during the pandemic.
Government Ministers say the economic damage inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic means “lavish pay rises” are unaffordable, with NHS staff getting a raise denied to other public sector workers.
