UNISON urges North East NHS trusts to join talks over 'bank staff' pay offer
Zero hour contract nurses are only eligible for part of the Government's pay offer.
The North East regional branch of the UK's largest trade union UNISON, has written to local NHS trusts inviting them to talks to discuss the impact of the Government's pay offer on overtime workers.
In April the Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay made an offer to NHS staff of a 5% pay rise this year and a cash payment for last year.
The offer was accepted by the Royal College of Midwives, the GMB Union and UNISON. It was rejected by the Royal College of Nurses and the Unite Union.
However, those classed as 'bank staff', nurses on zero-hour contracts who often cover overtime shifts, are not included in the offer for the backdated lump sum payment.
UNISON said individual NHS Trusts can make the decision to pay bank staff from their own budgets.
Ian Fleming is Regional Organiser at Unison Northern and Lead for Health in the northern region: "UNISON believes all those staff who are on zero hour contracts, and that is the bank staff, essentially have the same rights as employees who are working permanent or fixed term contracts.
"And therefore we take the view that bank staff should be covered under this legislation and they should get exactly the same as somebody who has a contract."
It's mainly not around the payments going forward, it's to do with the back payment.
It's the 2022/23 element of the pay, which arguably was the reward for the time during Covid, and when these bank staff were covering shifts and picking up the shifts no one else would want to do or where there was staff sickness."
Unison's head of health, Sarah Gorton, said the vote did not solve the "staffing emergency" in the NHS.
RCN general secretary Pat Cullen has written to Health Secretary Steve Barclay to seek urgent re-opening of talks with the Government.
She said: "What has been offered to date is simply not enough. The Government needs to increase what has already been offered and we will be highly critical of any move to reduce it.
"After a historic vote to strike, our members expect a historic pay award."
Mr Barclay said it was "hugely disappointing" that the RCN had rejected the pay deal.
He said: "Their decision to escalate strike action with no exemptions, based on a vote from a minority of members, is also hugely concerning.
"The NHS staff council, which recommended this offer, covers a number of trade unions who are continuing to vote, and I hope this offer secures the support of a majority of members."
We contacted all of the North East NHS trusts. Of the six responses we received; two confirmed they have received the invitation to talks, four said they have not yet received a letter, and two failed to respond.
None indicated whether they would be taking part in discussions.