Health Secretary Wes Streeting is on the verge of another major NHS staff walkout, after the Unite Union found 89% of its members want to reject their 3.6% pay rise offer. With the Government already reeling from junior doctors walking out this week, most NHS staff beyond doctors are now also threatening to strike.
Unite Union, which represents the so-called ‘Agenda for Change NHS staff’, polled its members and found nearly all of them are furious with the government’s 3.6% pay rise proposal. In a new warning today, General Secretary Sharon Graham warned Wes Streeting that he needs to urgently find more cash, or face yet more walkouts.The survey of staff also found 95% willing to strike in order to oppose NHS cuts.
Unite is now demanding urgent talks with the Health Secretary if he wants to avoid a strike that could affect ambulances, NHS England, and NHS Blood and Transplant. The union is also angry that their pay rise is less than that awarded to junior doctors and staff in Scotland.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “When it came into power this government was clear that the NHS was broken.
“But staff are still leaving in droves and morale is still at an all time low. The NHS can’t be repaired while the government continues to erode pay and drastically cut NHS budgets.
“This pay award does nothing to reverse 15 years of real terms pay reduction. The lowest paid in the NHS will feel especially cheated because part of the award was paid out early in order to get them above the minimum wage.
“The fact that that needed to be done shows how far we are from where we need to be.”
Unite national officer for health Richard Munn added: “On the issue of cuts our members are baffled – it is literal Orwellian doublespeak. How can the NHS be “fixed” with thousands of staff at risk of losing their jobs?
“Unite members are not resistant to better use of technology, ill health prevention and health promotion or the move from hospital to community as outlined in the 10 year plan, provided skills and staff are not reduced.
“However, to propose huge job losses on the scale suggested is completely nonsensical and smacks of headline grabbing politics as opposed to delivering better services. It is no surprise that almost all members who voted are prepared to take action against cuts.”
This week’s junior doctors’ walkout dealt a huge blow to the Labour Government, who promised cuts to waiting lists would be a top priority.
Mr Streeting awarded junior doctors a 22% pay rise last year, and a 5.4% pay rise for 2025-26, though this failed to appease the hard-left BMA union who are demanding a further 29% pay rise this year.
Mr Streeting fumed that the junior doctors’ walkout “enormously undermines the entire trade union movement” as well as the NHS.
“these strikes will place an enormous burden on their colleagues, and hit the recovery we can all see our health service is making.
“No trade union in British history has seen its members receive a such a steep pay rise only to immediately respond with strikes – even when a majority of their members didn’t even vote to strike. This action is unprecedented, and it is unreasonable.”
The Department for Health was approached for comment.