Wales nurses strike called off after pay offer, but walkouts in London and other parts of UK set to go ahead
3 February 2023, 18:03 | Updated: 4 February 2023, 01:02
Welsh NHS staff have suspended walkouts due to take place next week after getting a new pay offer from ministers, but industrial action is still set to go ahead in London and other parts of the UK.
Strikes had been planned for Monday and Tuesday next week, but in a statement released today, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Wales confirmed the walkouts would be paused as it considers the Welsh Government's offer to up the pay award it has already made for 2022/23 by 3 per cent.
The proposal comes after negotiations between the RCN, other health trade unions, and the Welsh government this week.
A walkout by physiotherapists in Wales that was set to take place on Tuesday has also been called off.
Separately, the GMB union in Wales has also called off strike action following a pay offer.
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 for nurses pay back dated to April 2022 and thus avoided the strikes planned for next week.”
The union said it will put the new offer to a vote of members in Wales in the coming days.
But the RCN confirmed that planned walkouts in England on Monday and Tuesday were still going ahead as the Government had not opened negotiations on pay.
The walkouts will affect 73 trusts across England - seven of which are in London - and will coincide with industrial action by ambulance workers.
GMB official Nathan Holman said: "After intense negotiations, GMB has agreed to suspend strike action while further talks take place.
"We recognise that the Welsh government and Welsh Ambulance have made concessions and, through social partnership, we appreciate the frank and open dialogue with them over the last few months."
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “Following continued discussions over the last week, we are pleased to announce that an enhanced pay offer has been made to our health trade unions.
"On this basis, we are hopeful that the planned industrial action over Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th February will be postponed, allowing trade unions to discuss the proposals further with their members.
"Individual trade unions will confirm their intentions regarding next week’s action, prior to further talks with their members.
“This revised pay offer comprises an additional 3%, of which 1.5% is consolidated so will be in pay packets year-on-year, on top of the Pay Review Body recommendations, which have already been implemented in full.
"This offer will be backdated to April 2022. Included in this revised package are a number of non-pay commitments to enhance staff well-being, on which negotiations will continue next week.
“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.
They added that the government was "awaiting a formal response from each of the individual trade unions".
