Zarah ChoudharyUNISON is escalating its campaign for the Government to open talks on NHS pay in England.
Along with other NHS unions, UNISON wrote to Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting to set out its concerns.
The union is also lodging letters of objection with every NHS employer in England.
Members wrote to MPs, urging them to back NHS staff and put pressure on the Government.
Helga Pile, head of health at UNISON, said: “How can you keep staff in the health service without putting NHS pay right?
“Everyone wants to improve patient care, make the health service more efficient, bring down waiting times and end delays.
“But without the staff, the NHS won’t get the huge helping hand it needs.”
As part of last year’s pay award, Streeting committed to discussions with unions and employers to find a solution to a pay structure that currently leaves too many staff under-banded and unrewarded, with the lowest paid dipping below the minimum wage every year.
In December, those talks were delayed.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced that it would need to limit the budget set aside for 2025/26 wage rises to 2.8%.
The department charged the NHS pay review body to decide the budget for modernising the pay structure – with the cost to be deducted from the 2025/26 salary pot.
UNISON immediately challenged this decision, but so far Streeting has not changed his mind.
Pile added: “Letting the discredited pay review body decide how much cash is needed for updating Agenda for Change pay scales isn’t a smart move.
“Nor is insisting the costs of this year’s wage rise and modernising the pay bands come from the same pot.
“NHS staff will end up with less, especially as money will have to be spent to keep the lowest paid above the legal minimum.
“Problems with the pay scales have led to lots of local strikes. The decision to push tackling the outdated pay structure back means there could well be more.”
Workplace journal has reached out for a comment from the Government.
