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Nurses 1% pay cap-protest then strike?

(24 Posts)
trisher Thu 07-Sep-17 18:31:15

Nurses travelled to London to protest about the 1% cap. Am I alone in thinking this gov should pay them properly and appreciate the work they do?
www.theguardian.com/society/2017/sep/06/enough-is-enough-nurses-protest-against-pay-cap-outside-westminster
Can we blame them if they are driven to strike?

Ilovecheese Thu 07-Sep-17 18:53:05

No, you are not alone. I think they have most of the country on their side at the moment, but the trouble is, if they strike some people will turn against them. They might be better to hang on a bit longer as the tide seems to be turning against the pay cap.

durhamjen Thu 07-Sep-17 19:31:17

No, you are not alone.
Corbyn mentioned them in PMQs yesterday, and May refused to acknowledge them.

For anyone on facebook who wants to show their support.

www.facebook.com/royalcollegeofnursing/?hc_ref=ARTc8VyKljrmFnBoUESuoAOocaMW7P8gSl_IZiljlIQnf9tQ9cDIxchD_3E9awb8prU

silverlining48 Thu 07-Sep-17 20:50:06

All public servants in our family but we are now retired. Good friends daughter With 20 years in the nhs has not had a raise in salary for nearly 10 years. Its clearly time to rectify the situation but she is convinced the nhs is being deliberately bled dry by lack of investment and privatisation So a rise in salary would only encourage staff to stay; clearly not the plan. If she is right and i fear she is, there may be trouble ahead. Sadly.

durhamjen Thu 07-Sep-17 21:58:12

Just to encourage all those who despair of the government's privatisation scheme for the NHS.

weownit.org.uk/blog/we-saved-nhs-professionals

They can be made to change their minds.

illtellhim Fri 08-Sep-17 07:06:18

Why don't they leave.

Anya Fri 08-Sep-17 08:03:25

Not funny illtellhim - your comment that is. For your information they are leaving in droves. I think I read there are 7,000 (or was it 17,000?) unfilled nursing vacancies across the NHS. Plus less will be training as this government has taken away their training bursary.

gillybob Fri 08-Sep-17 08:17:25

How much does the average nurse get?
How much does a student nurse get?
A new fully qualified nurse?
A nurse with a few years of experience?
Etc.

There really is only so much money to go around and let's face it all tax payers contribute to their wages. (Even those on minimum wage who are just over the tax threshold) .

Not looking for an argument. Can't be bothered with that today but just saying, that all.

Teetime Fri 08-Sep-17 08:24:06

Striking has never been a good option for nurses - can't win for losing kind of thing. I think other than the last years of my 30 years as a nurse I was very poorly paid and often on the edge - had to move into management and away from the bedside to get a decent salary - mind you I earned it. Never considered striking but it does seem that this government wants the NHS to fail and is totally disregarding the nursing profession. 80% of direct care in the NHS is given by nurses and care assistants both of whom are asked to do more and more technical tasks without any recognition in their salary.

Anya Fri 08-Sep-17 08:24:14

A Registered Nurse (RN) earns an average salary of £23,319 per year

Source
Registered Nurse (RN) Salary (United Kingdom) - PayScale

Anya Fri 08-Sep-17 08:25:11

Not much after tax and NI.

Cold Fri 08-Sep-17 14:29:39

Student nurses now have to pay University tuition fees now that the student bursaries for nursing have been abolished this year. So they have to accumulate debt to work for low pay.

JanieG Fri 08-Sep-17 16:17:51

Nurses can earn up to around £43000, then go into management and the sky's the limit! Their pay scales are part of the agenda for change agreement, as are most NHS salaries. I don't think nurses can be offered a rise without the rest of the NHS being included which would be crippling financially.

devongirl Fri 08-Sep-17 16:22:33

Why not, JanieG? Is that enshrined in law?

hulahoop Fri 08-Sep-17 16:44:01

Most ward nurses don't earn that janieG

Ilovecheese Fri 08-Sep-17 19:41:19

Removing the bursary for nurses was one of the most ridiculous and short sighted acts of this government.

durhamjen Fri 08-Sep-17 19:47:30

Agreed, Ilovecheese.

Fact check on the number of staff in the NHS. Nursing numbers are down on 2010.

www.theweek.co.uk/checked-out/88286/the-truth-about-nhs-staff-shortages

Primrose65 Fri 08-Sep-17 21:58:47

Average nursing salary in the UK is £31,000

fullfact.org/health/are-nhs-workers-getting-4-pay-rise/

Eloethan Fri 08-Sep-17 22:13:30

Tax payers contribute to lots of things and I think paying nurses a decent wage, after 7 years that has seen their real pay decrease, is certainly something worth paying for.

Morgana Sat 09-Sep-17 08:19:36

In last week been to glaucoma monitoring clinic and to general A. & E. Different hospitals. Both been privatised. Someone must be coining it! But yes nurses should be paid more. And bursaries free. I suspect that lack of nurses means that agency staff are used at a far greater cost
Same happening in teaching and social work. Heaven help us when the European workers leave after BRexit

gillybob Sat 09-Sep-17 08:22:36

It's fairly common for nurses to drop their NHS hours in order to pick the same /similar hours up on bank with a higher rate of pay.

Teetime Sat 09-Sep-17 09:01:20

Its not 'fairly common' Gillybob because it significantly affects their pension.

silverlining48 Sat 09-Sep-17 09:03:43

Recently found out our local general hospital is run by virgin! Dont suppose many people realise, as i hadnt, and so it continues with more and mire of the nhs is quietly privatised.

JanieG Sat 09-Sep-17 09:25:23

You can read all about Agenda for Change here www.nhsemployers.org/agendaforchange
Newly qualified nurses normally start on band 5 and receive annual increments till they reach the top of the band, in addition to the 1% pay rise.
What is really shocking is that foundation trust directors can award themselves pay rises of whatever they fancy! I worked in a trust where us minions were on a pay freeze and the CEO got a 30% rise one year!