RCN nurses to march through Grimsby over pay
Care Plus Group nursing staff in North Lincolnshire have demanded pay equity with NHS nurses.
Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) employed by the Care Plus Group (CPG) will march through Grimsby today in demand of fairer pay. Those workers in - North Lincolnshire only - are on strike between 7am and 10pm today.
CPG is a social enterprise organisation based in Grimsby, whose staff provide health and care services for the NHS. However, those nursing staff do not receive the same pay or conditions as regular NHS nurses.
Sarah Dodsworth, Regional Director for the RCN in Yorkshire and the Humber, said of the CPG nurses: "They're paid considerably less than their NHS colleagues for delivering the very same NHS care for patients - this clearly is not fair."
This action comes after 93% of RCN members voted to strike earlier this year, with the CPG saying they are in communication with the RCN in relation to pay. As the CPG is not part of the NHS it has to consider its own financial sustainability when assessing pay.
Sarah Dodsworth said: "You would expect a nurse - a degree-educated nurse - to be able to afford to feed their family, have a little holiday, run their car for work, and actually our members are saying they're struggling particularly with the cost of fuel, particularly with the cost of utilities, and food, rent and mortgage.
"They want to deliver this care, they enjoy their jobs, they feel passionate about patient care, but it's really hard because that passion doesn't pay the bills."