Wales ambulance pay offer ‘too late’ to avert strikes says union
A union that represents ambulance workers in Wales has welcomed an invitation to negotiate, but “without no detail union cannot suspend planned action.
The Welsh government looks set to offer a one-off payment to NHS workers in a bid to stop the ongoing industrial action.
Ambulance workers are set to stage a walkout this week and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned that further strikes could also be taken this year.
The GMB union has said the Welsh Government’s one-off payment will come too late to change planned strike action for ambulance service in Wales.
In a letter to the union, Welsh Health Minister Eluned Morgan puts forward to potential package including a non-consolidated award funded through this year’s Welsh Government (2022-23) budget.
GMB welcomes the invitation to negotiate with the Welsh Government on pay – however without any detail of the amount, the union is unable to suspend Wednesday’s action.
Nathan Holman, NHS Wales Lead Officer, said:
“Our members deserve to have confidence in their wage packets and need to be able to plan their own budgets.
“Many GMB members are facing considerable financial hardship.
“We welcome the response from the Welsh Labour Government in Wales to at least come round the table to negotiate with the trade unions.
“This is a far cry from the UK Government, which has so far ignored any meaningful negotiations.
“Once we have a firm detailed offer from Welsh Government, we will consult our membership.”
Speaking at a press conference this morning, First Minister Mark Drakeford said that ministers had been working over the last three weeks to help stop the industrial action and to make an offer to NHS workers.
He confirmed that a letter had been sent to health unions to discuss a one off payment for NHS workers, to find a way forward to improve working conditions, reduce agency spend and to restore confidence in the pay award body.
Mr Drakeford said: “We recognise and respect the strength of feeling demonstrated by members in these ballots and through the industrial action taken.
“We know that these are never decisions which have been reached lightly and we remain committed to working in social partnership with our trade unions to explore a way to resolve current disputes.
“It was in that context that on Friday of last week the health minister wrote to help unions in Wales to invite them to discuss an offer to try and resolve current disputes.
“We have worked very hard across the government and across the Christmas period to bring together the resources which underpin the offer an offer which has three elements for discussion and for negotiation.”
However the first minister would not be drawn on how much the one-off payment would be and whether health workers were being treated as a “special case in all of the potential disruption” expected this year.
He said: “We will begin discussions this week with our health trade unions because there are actual disputes and actual strikes taking place in that sector. That does not rule out of course, continuing to discuss with trade union colleagues in other sectors, the issues which they are facing potential solutions we could offer here in Wales.
“I anticipate that I’m likely to disappoint you during the next half hour by not being able to share specifics over amounts of money or how it might be used.
“These are negotiations with our trade union colleagues, it would be disrespectful I feel not to put those issues in discussion with them first.
“Once we’ve had those discussions we will of course share more of the details, but it’s right and proper that the people who we are directly in discussions with get to hear some of those further details when we have the opportunity to be around the table together.”
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