Nurses union expected to reject pay deal amid strike vote
Nurses set to turn down new pay deal
- Nursing staff in England are widely expected to reject a 3.6 per cent pay offer, which the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has labelled "grotesque" and insufficient due to inflation.
- GMB health workers, including ambulance crews, have already rejected a similar government pay deal, with 67 per cent voting against the 3.6 per cent offer for 2025/26.
- Unions highlight that the proposed pay rise falls short compared to increases received by doctors, teachers, prison officers, and the armed forces.
- Analysis by the RCN indicates that nurses' pay is £8,000 lower than if it had kept pace with inflation since 2010, severely eroding wages, particularly for junior staff.
- GMB has requested an urgent meeting with Health Secretary Wes Streeting to discuss pay, while any decision on potential strike action by nurses would be made later in the year.