Welsh NHS staff have suspended strike action following an improved offer from ministers. Health minister Eluned Morgan has offered eight health un
Welsh NHS staff have suspended strike action following an improved offer from ministers.
Health minister Eluned Morgan has offered eight health unions an extra 3% on top of the £1,400 already promised.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) and GMB union ambulance staff have put walkouts next week on hold.
However other union members, including Unite and midwives, have not called off planned industrial action.
The Welsh government has tabled a new deal of an extra 3% – backdated to April 2022, of which 1.5% is consolidated so will be in pay packets year-on-year.
Included in this revised package are a number of non-pay commitments to enhance staff wellbeing, on which negotiations will continue next week,” a spokesperson said.
“Whilst there is currently no improved pay offer on the table for NHS staff in England, it was also agreed that any resulting Barnett consequential following any improved offer to staff in England would result in a further pay offer to staff in Wales.”
The Welsh government said it awaiting formal responses from each union – who will put the offer to members – and said it hoped strike action planned for next week would be called off.
The RCN has called off strikes planned for Monday and Tuesday and said it will put the new deal to a vote of members in Wales in the coming days.
‘Strikes worked’
RCN Wales Director, Helen Whyley, said: “Our strike action in December has clearly been effective as the Welsh government has listened to the issues facing nursing in Wales and put forward an increased offer.
“Industrial action continues to be a last resort for nurses, and I have heard their stories of the personal sacrifice they make every day fighting for safe care for their patients that pushed them to vote for strike action.
“The health minister should be under no illusion that we will not hesitate to return to strike action should the offer be rejected.”
Nurses in England are still due to walk out on 6 and 7 February.
Ambulance staff who were members of the GMB had planned to take industrial action on four dates in February and March, starting Monday.
The GMB represents about a quarter of the ambulance service in Wales, including paramedics, call room staff and ambulance technicians.
But about 1,500 union members planning to strike on Monday will now be paused.
GMB and Welsh NHS lead, Nathan Holman, said: “We appreciate the frank and open dialogue over the last few months.
“This has only been made possible because the Welsh government has been prepared to talk about pay – a lesson for those in charge on the other side of the Severn Bridge.”
‘Premature to call off action’
Unite represents about 25% of all ambulance staff in Wales and said members would still strike on Monday, unless a better deal is agreed over the weekend.
“It would be wholly premature for Unite to talk about any deals being done in relation to the Welsh Ambulance dispute,” said general secretary Sharon Graham.
“Negotiations are continuing. Unite will be available all weekend in the hope that a satisfactory offer can be put together to avert strikes next week.”
Thousands of ambulance workers have been holding walkouts since December, with GMB members only responding to life-threatening calls.
Staff staged two strikes in January as part of their calls for better pay, above inflation.
It put increasing pressure on the Welsh government as strikes left the service “seriously disrupted”.
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