The Society's Council has decided that members should be balloted on whether they will accept or reject the government's three-year pay deal.
Voting papers and background information are to be sent to members later this month.
The proposed deal includes:
Year 1 (from April 2008): An increase of 2.75% for all staff
Year 2: An increase of 2.4%. The abolition of the first pay point in Band 1. Restructuring of pay points in Bands 5 and 6.
Year 3: 2.25% on all pay points with restructuring to Bands 5/6.
Year 4: PRB resumes usual role. Some further increases to pay points 19, 20, 23, 24 and 25.
The effect of the changes to Bands 5 and 6 in Year 2 will be:
Additional £779 to pay point 19 (3.64%)
Additional £934 to pay point 20 (4.23%)
Additional £547 to pay point 21 (2.40%)
Additional £562 to pay point 22 (2.40%)
Additional £728 to pay point 23 (3.02%)
Additional £775 to pay point 24 (3.09%)
Additional £716 to pay point 25 (2.74%)
The effect of the change to Band 5 in Year 3 with the loss of the middle increment:
Additional £541 to pay point 19 (2.31%)
Additional £544 to pay point 20 (2.36%)
Pay point 21 removed
Additional £541 to pay point 22 (2.25%)
Additional £640 to pay point 23 (2.58%)
Additional £654 to pay point 24 (2.53%)
Additional £695 to pay point 25 (2.59%)
In Year 4 there will be a further increase to Band 5 to account for any loss due to the removal of pay point 21. The increases will range from 0.11% to 0.33%. There will be a common incremental date – 1 April - for staff on Band 5 to avoid ‘leapfrogging’.
For Bands 3 and 4 a cash increase of £420 will be added to pay points 7 to 13 in Year 3.
No other restructuring of Bands is planned but there is a commitment to further talks to consider whether restructuring of Bands 6 and 7 is needed.
There is also a commitment to consider reducing the working week as long as the government can see productivity gains as a result.
Plans are also being made to retain newly qualified staff and to address recruitment and retention to the profession.
What are our options?
We can reject the package and stick with the 2.75% first year increase, or we can accept the offer as it stands.
What are the other unions doing?
All the healthcare unions are consulting with their members and some will hold ballots. It is likely that all the healthcare unions will have decided on their positions by mid-May.
What if we and the other unions on the Staff Council accept the offer?
• We will achieve pay stability for three years in an economy that is looking increasingly volatile.
• Evidence will continue to flow from the Society and the other healthcare trades unions to the Pay Review Body, which will carry on as before monitoring the situation.
• There is a commitment by the employer to further talks on restructuring for Bands 6 and 7.
• There will be talks to reduce the working week.
• There is a clause to re-open negotiations if inflations significantly exceeds the second and third year increases.
What if we and the other unions on the Staff Council reject the offer?
• Any improvements will be marginal and during negotiations members will continue to ‘lose’ money.
• There will be no restructuring of pay bands.
• 2.75% only in the first year with the potential for the government to stage in future years.
• Members will need to be prepared to take direct action.
• Threat of local pay (England) and a cap on pay rates for the following years.
• Evidence will continue to flow from the Society and the other healthcare trades unions to the Pay Review Body, which will carry on as before monitoring the situation.
Will there be any restructuring to other pay bands, such as Band 8?
No, none is planned at present.
Go to the NHS Employer's website for a spreadsheet showing how the proposed award affects each Pay Band and spine point.
Click here for the pay presentation given to the Annual Delegates Conference by Warren Town, the Society's director of industrial relations.
