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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Nurses to be balloted over action | Nurses to be balloted over action |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Nurses are to be balloted over whether they want a national vote on whether to take industrial action over pay. | Nurses are to be balloted over whether they want a national vote on whether to take industrial action over pay. |
| Nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been offered a 1.5% pay rise followed by an extra 1% later. | Nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been offered a 1.5% pay rise followed by an extra 1% later. |
| The government says this is fair and affordable but nurses want the 2.5% immediately - as happened in Scotland. | The government says this is fair and affordable but nurses want the 2.5% immediately - as happened in Scotland. |
| The Royal College of Nursing ballot will ask NHS members whether they want to be balloted on what would be the first ever national industrial action. | The Royal College of Nursing ballot will ask NHS members whether they want to be balloted on what would be the first ever national industrial action. |
| Nurses are dedicated public servants who work hard and play by the rules Peter Carter, of the Royal College of Nursing | Nurses are dedicated public servants who work hard and play by the rules Peter Carter, of the Royal College of Nursing |
| The RCN met on Wednesday to discuss their options after an emergency motion passed unanimously at the RCN conference in April called on the government to implement a full 2.5% pay rise as recommended by the independent pay review body. | The RCN met on Wednesday to discuss their options after an emergency motion passed unanimously at the RCN conference in April called on the government to implement a full 2.5% pay rise as recommended by the independent pay review body. |
| RCN General Secretary Peter Carter said: "Today's decision by council was not arrived at lightly, but there are only so many times nurses can be asked to accept the unacceptable. | RCN General Secretary Peter Carter said: "Today's decision by council was not arrived at lightly, but there are only so many times nurses can be asked to accept the unacceptable. |
| "Nurses are dedicated public servants who work hard and play by the rules. | "Nurses are dedicated public servants who work hard and play by the rules. |
| "So, when we end up in a situation where nurses are forced to talk about industrial action, then we know that they have been pushed to the limit. | "So, when we end up in a situation where nurses are forced to talk about industrial action, then we know that they have been pushed to the limit. |
| "This is a ludicrous position to find ourselves in and I urge the government to meet with us immediately to resolve this situation." | "This is a ludicrous position to find ourselves in and I urge the government to meet with us immediately to resolve this situation." |
| The RCN said the pay award was the equivalent of a below inflation 1.9% pay rise and was saving the government £60m. | The RCN said the pay award was the equivalent of a below inflation 1.9% pay rise and was saving the government £60m. |
| Patient care | Patient care |
| Historically nurses have not been allowed to take industrial action but a rule change in the mid-1990s permitted measures which do not harm patient care. | Historically nurses have not been allowed to take industrial action but a rule change in the mid-1990s permitted measures which do not harm patient care. |
| This means an all-out strike would be highly unlikely but it does allow nurses to take other steps such as refusing to do overtime. | This means an all-out strike would be highly unlikely but it does allow nurses to take other steps such as refusing to do overtime. |
| Another option would be to refuse to fill in paperwork which enables NHS trusts to show they have met their targets. | Another option would be to refuse to fill in paperwork which enables NHS trusts to show they have met their targets. |
| The government has said the pay offer was a sensible increase that was fair for NHS staff and affordable for the economy. | The government has said the pay offer was a sensible increase that was fair for NHS staff and affordable for the economy. |
| Average pay has increased from £12,000 for a basic grade nurse in 1997 to £20,000 today. Avearge pay has also increased by a similar amount to £25,000. |