Unions suspend planned NHS industrial action in Scotland

One of Scotland's biggest trade unions has confirmed it is going to suspend planned industrial action in the NHS.

After talks with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, NHS Scotland and trade unions, health workers were offered a new deal by the Scottish Government on Thursday.

A planned work to rule by Scottish Ambulance Service workers, which had been due to start on Friday, was suspended as a result, the trade union Unite said.

Meanwhile, the GMB union confirmed its members in the ambulance service would not now take planned strike action on Monday.

However, GMB Scotland senior organiser Keir Greenaway stated: "The reality is this offer remains below inflation for the vast majority of staff."

He added that the offer "requires our members' consultation, given the additional monies tabled by the government".

But Mr Greenaway said: "Whether our members believe it goes far enough to merit acceptance is another matter entirely after a decade of cuts to pay and services, and over two years on the frontline response to Covid-19."

James O'Connell, Unite's lead negotiator for NHS Scotland, said his union believed "the improved offer deserves to be considered by our members across the NHS".

"We appreciate the work, on all sides, that has gone into achieving this new offer and recognise the direct involvement of the First Minister in helping to obtain an increased offer that could be put to our members for consideration," he said.

The union said the deal set to be voted on by NHS staff included an increase in pay from the previous offer, particularly in bands 5 to 8a, and also included a commitment to reduce the working week from 37.5 hours to 36 with no loss of pay.

Mr Yousaf said the Government had "engaged tirelessly with trade union representatives over recent weeks, leaving no stone unturned to reach an offer which responds to the key concerns of staff across the service".

The Health Secretary insisted: "This best and final pay offer of over half a billion pounds underlines our commitment to supporting our fantastic NHS staff.

"A newly qualified nurse would see a pay rise of 8.7%, and experienced nurses would get uplifts of between £2,450 and £2,751."

Mr Yousaf claimed it was the "best offer possible to get money into the pockets of hardworking staff and to avoid industrial action, in what is already going to be an incredibly challenging winter".

According to the Scottish Government, the deal would mean NHS workers in Scotland would remain the best paid in the UK, and workers would get pay rises ranging from £2,205 to £2,751.

For the lowest paid it would be a rise of 11.3%, with an average rise of 7.5%.

Unite said negotiations had secured an extra £172 million for NHS workers compared to the first offer in the summer.

A previous pay offer was formally rejected by the union earlier this month, with members also voting for industrial action across a number of regional and national health boards.

Pat McIlvogue, Unite regional officer at the ambulance service, said: "The suspension of our action short of strike within SAS is done in good faith to facilitate a consultative ballot of our members on the Scottish Government improved offer.

"We await the outcome of the ballot result for our next step."

The action short of strike was set to include advanced practitioners, paramedics, planners, administrative, clerical, real time analysts, and business intelligence.

It would have seen them refuse to work overtime, and strictly follow rules on when they should have breaks and how many hours they work.

Sharon Graham, the union's general secretary, had threatened earlier this month that if no increased offer was given workers would strike, and said the blame for that would lay at the door of the Scottish Government.

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