NHS strike action threat looms amid overall public sector pay rise promises

Yesterday chancellor Rishi Sunak implied that a pay rise is in store for 2.6 million public sector workers in Wednesday’s Budget, amid rising calls for industrial action amongst NHS trade union bodies.

Later today the Chancellor is expected to consider independent recommendations regarding an increase of over five per cent in the national living wage.

Pay was frozen across public sector roles last November apart from for NHS staff, and public servants earning below £24,000.

The Chancellor told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme that he will lay out a “new pay policy” in this week’s budget, explaining: “We thought that was reasonable and fair. Now going forward, we’ll have to set a new pay policy.”

The GMB union is balloting tens of thousands of its NHS members in England about industrial action in 2022.

The ballot will open on November 10 and close on December 15.

Over 9 out of 10 of the GMB’s NHS members have also rejected the government’s plans for a 3% pay rise which they slammed as a “miserable pay cut”.

Javid faced sharp criticism for new plans set out last week, in which the Department of Health proposed “naming and shaming” surgeries that have small numbers of in-person appointments.

Last week the GPs committee (GPC) of the British Medical Association (BMA), the UK’s largest trade union for doctors, voted unanimously to reject the health secretary’s plans unveiled last week.

The GPC is currently seeking approval to hold a vote on industrial action.

Former shadow chancellor and Labour MP John McDonnell hit back at the pay rise news via Twitter, writing: “Heard it all before from the Tories. Promises of “plans” for £10 in 3 years time, are meaningless for people facing wage freezes, rising inflation & energy prices & hit by frozen tax threshold now. The planning now should be for moving to £15 an hour.”

This news comes amid rising concerns regarding the cost of living as experts forecast a surge in inflation.

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), Britain’s oldest independent economic research institute, has said inflation will surpass 4% next year.

The NIESR claimed that short-term pressures, such as soaring energy bills, supply chain issues and worker shortages will increase consumer prices over the coming months.