Belfast, Northern Ireland â Healthcare workers in Northern Ireland are poised for “large-scale industrial action” unless their pay is brought into line with colleagues in England, Scotland, and Wales, according to union representatives. Unison’s Head of Health, Anne Speed, warned that the current situation, if unresolved, will “inevitably” lead to strikes.
This follows remarks by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, who has cast doubt on Northern Irelandâs ability to fund the same pay deals offered elsewhere in the UK. Despite a Pay Review Bodyâs recommendation of a 5.5% pay increase for health workers in Northern Ireland, implementation remains pending, putting workers in Northern Ireland at a disadvantage compared to their UK counterparts.
The Pay Review Bodyâs recommended increase has been adopted across other parts of the UK, yet, Northern Irelandâs healthcare staff continue to wait for parity. While a recent budget boost provided ÂŁ700 million in unspent funds from Westminster, Nesbittâs health department received ÂŁ350 millionâstill leaving a shortfall of ÂŁ100 million to balance the books.
Union Leaders: âNo Longer Tenableâ
In interviews, Speed expressed frustration, asserting that healthcare workers in Northern Ireland feel âthoroughly undervalued and disrespected.â Speaking on BBCâs Nolan Show, she emphasized, âItâs not a tenable decision to tell workers here that theyâre worth less than those in England, Wales, and Scotland.â She warned of âa very difficult environmentâ if the pay disparity persists, with healthcare workers potentially âon the picket lines post-Christmas.â
This sentiment is echoed by other union leaders, including Patricia McKeown of Unison and Rita Devlin, Director of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Northern Ireland. Devlin expressed âabsolute disbelief and disappointment,â noting that if strike action is necessary, it will be the third time Northern Ireland nurses have protested for pay parity since 2019.
Strains on the Health Service
Devlin warned of mounting pressure on healthcare staff who, she says, are âholding up a broken health service.â She pointed to overcrowded wards and emergency departments as evidence of a system already at its breaking point. âWe canât see another option but industrial action,â she told Good Morning Ulster, though she emphasized the decision ultimately rests with RCN members.
Brenda Stevenson from Unite the Union voiced similar frustration, expressing dismay that the issue has resurfaced. “If we donât get the recommended 5.5% increase, weâll have no other option but to ballot our members for industrial action,” she said. “You canât keep a workforce if you donât invest in them.”
Political Response and Ongoing Negotiations
Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly acknowledged the challenges but stated that this budget round could not prioritize health worker pay as desired, given the pressing financial pressures across departments.
Nesbitt has committed to meeting health union leaders to discuss potential solutions, describing the situation as âregrettableâ and âpotentially serious.â In a Tuesday statement, he said, âI could not in all conscience support a funding allocation that falls short of what workers deserve.â
With healthcare unions set to meet with the Health Minister in the coming weeks, Northern Ireland could face a winter of labor unrest and potential disruption to healthcare services if a compromise is not reached.