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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| NHS workers plan four-hour strike | NHS workers plan four-hour strike |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Health workers in England are to stage a four-hour strike on 13 October, the Unison union has announced. | Health workers in England are to stage a four-hour strike on 13 October, the Unison union has announced. |
| The strike - which is part of a row over pay - will begin at 7am, and will involve some nurses, healthcare assistants, and porters. | The strike - which is part of a row over pay - will begin at 7am, and will involve some nurses, healthcare assistants, and porters. |
| The result of the strike ballot was announced last week, with more than two-thirds of Unison members saying they were prepared to take action. | The result of the strike ballot was announced last week, with more than two-thirds of Unison members saying they were prepared to take action. |
| The Department of Health said the NHS couldn't afford the union's demands. | |
| The government has given NHS staff a 1% pay rise, but not for those who get automatic progression-in-the-job increases. | The government has given NHS staff a 1% pay rise, but not for those who get automatic progression-in-the-job increases. |
| Those increases are given to about half of staff and are worth 3% a year on average. | Those increases are given to about half of staff and are worth 3% a year on average. |
| 'Utter contempt' | 'Utter contempt' |
| The decision by ministers went against the recommendation of the independent pay review board, which called for an across-the-board rise. | The decision by ministers went against the recommendation of the independent pay review board, which called for an across-the-board rise. |
| The Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: "NHS members don't take action often or lightly. | The Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: "NHS members don't take action often or lightly. |
| "For many of our members this will be the first time they walk out as the last action over pay was 32 years ago. | "For many of our members this will be the first time they walk out as the last action over pay was 32 years ago. |
| "The NHS runs on the goodwill of its workers, but this government has shown utter contempt for them. | "The NHS runs on the goodwill of its workers, but this government has shown utter contempt for them. |
| "We are working with NHS employers to minimise the impact on patients." | "We are working with NHS employers to minimise the impact on patients." |
| 'Greatest asset' | |
| Unison has 300,000 members who work for the health service in England. | Unison has 300,000 members who work for the health service in England. |
| The strike on 13 October will be followed by four days of action short of strikes. | |
| A spokesman for the Department of Health said the NHS could not afford a general pay rise on top of incremental increases. | |
| "We are disappointed that Unison is planning industrial action and has rejected our proposals to give NHS staff at least 1% additional pay this year and at least a further 1% next year," he said. | |
| "NHS staff are our greatest asset and we know they are working extremely hard. | |
| "This is why despite tough financial times, we've protected the NHS budget and now have 13,500 more clinical staff than in 2010. | |
| "We want to protect these increases and cannot afford incremental pay increases - which disproportionately reward the highest earners - on top of a general pay rise without risking frontline NHS jobs." |