NHS pay body says no

UNITE general union has called off its campaign of industrial action over pay in the NHS. The move follows the rejection of the request by NHS unions Unite, UNISON, GMB, CSP and others to reconsider the three-year NHS pay deal for 2009. The NHS Pay Review Body said that labour market evidence and the change in the economic situation meant that NHS workers had not lost out relative to others. “We do not consider that…the Agenda for Change pay structure is getting out of line with the wider labour market,” it said.

Unite’s national officer for health, David Fleming, said of the union’s decision to shelve action: “The world has gone through a period of unprecedented economic circumstances. As a result, perceptions and attitudes have changed.” He vowed that Unite would continue to fight on issues such as pay.

The NHS Pay Review body said it would reconsider the situation in Autumn 2009.