A frontline nurse and trade union leader has said she is “outraged” that health workers are once again considering strike action.
Denise Kelly chairs the RCN Trade Union Committee across the UK and is also a permanent night shift worker in Northern Ireland.
“We’ve been here far too many times. We took strike action in 2019, we had picket lines against last year,” she told the Irish News.
“It’s an absolute disgrace, but here we are yet again being left as second-class citizens compared to the rest of the UK.”
On Monday, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said he could not afford a 5.5% pay increase for health workers and expected difficult negotiations with health unions.
This would break pay parity with England and Wales after the pay increase was recommended by the independent pay review body in April.
An Executive meeting had discussed how to spend £700m of extra government funding, with £350m allocated for the health service.
Mr Nesbitt said this still left him £100m under budget, and accused the Executive of knowingly choosing to break pay parity.
“I am a frontline nurse so I know exactly how this feels, it’s extremely demoralising,” Ms Kelly said.
“There’s very little hope that we have out there at this moment in time in terms of a pay award.
“It’s a slap in the face, to be undervalued for the work we do. We’re not viewed as respected as colleagues in the UK.”
With industrial action looking increasingly likely, she said the RCN still has a live strike mandate unlike other health unions who accepted a previous pay award.
“Our members are extremely angry. Striking is always an absolute last resort, but if we have to in order to get our members what they need and stand up for patients, we’ll use it.”
The next steps will be decided by the RCN’s Northern Ireland board, but Ms Kelly said new strikes by the end of the year were possible.
She also encouraged other health unions to proceed with new strike ballots to increase the impact.
“We have to do this because we’re all in a failing health service.
“Announcements like we had (on Monday) will make us lose our staff. They’ll either want to go and work in jobs in the south or across the water because they’re paid much better.”
With a feeling that Mr Nesbitt was on the side of healthcare staff, she said he needed the support of the Executive.
“There needs to be consensus with all the executive team and if required, they need to collectively approach Westminster for additional monies,” she said.
“I’m sure the Executive have made this case, but they need to do it again to a Labour government that’s supposed to be the party for the workers and demonstrate that no matter where you work in the UK, you’ll be paid the same.”
Earlier, the head of the Unison trade union Anne Speed said the dispute was “going to lead to large scale industrial action” on the picket lines after Christmas.
Brenda Stevenson of Unite the Union added: “If we don’t get the pay review bodies recommendation of the 5.5% we’ll have no other option but to ballot our members for industrial action.”
