Northern Ireland Minister of Health Mike Nesbitt has described a pay deal with unions that is set to avert winter strike action as a “massive step forward”.
His comments came after a senior union official said the main unions “can live” with a deal proposed by Mr Nesbitt and are withdrawing their threat of industrial action.
Anne Speed, a negotiator with the largest union Unison, said the offer fulfilled the mandates of the unions by ensuring pay parity with colleagues elsewhere in the UK.
The National Health Service pay review body, which makes recommendations on the pay of staff on the agenda for change terms and conditions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, has recommended a 5.5 per cent increase for 2024/25.
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Mr Nesbitt has conceded he does not have the £320 million (€388 million) needed to deliver the pay award in full.
However, he has committed to paying at least 10 months’ worth of the uplift retrospectively next year, with a further pledge to secure the additional money needed to bridge the gap to make the full award.
“It was my determination that healthcare workers would not have to go through Christmas thinking they might have to take industrial action to get the pay awards they deserved so I think today is a massive and very welcome step forward,” said Mr Nesbitt at Stormont on Tuesday evening.
“I would share some frustration with the unions in that this was not done more quickly and more cleanly because, after all, these pay awards and recommendations coming out of England they should really just roll across the Irish Sea and be implemented.
“There shouldn’t be a need for a local process and local discussion and local negotiations and it’s my determination that next year that won’t happen and we will move cleanly and quickly to a resolution.”
He added: “It looks like we are going to avoid industrial action over the winter and I very much welcome that and I think anybody who relies on the health and social care service is going to welcome that.”
Earlier, Ms Speed said the unions had sought to secure pay parity.
“We’ve done that after some effort,” she told BBC Radio Ulster.
“And I think the minister has stepped forward now with something which I think all unions can live with.”
Separate from the agenda for change staff recommendation, the review body for pay for doctors and dentists in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has recommended a 6 per cent increase in their wages.
It is understood the Minister is awaiting an official response from the professional bodies representing doctors and dentists about his pay plan. — PA
