PRODUCED BY

SOCIALIST PARTY
MEMBERS IN THE NHS
REJECT THE EMPLOYERS PAY OFFER

MORE CAN BE WON

Health unions in the NHS decided on Tuesday to suspend strike action in the NHS scheduled for Thursday 29th January.

specifically and the wider union movement.

Support for the strike had grown following news that
that employers wanted to cut unsocial hours payments which would have a massive effect on many
staff.

Due to the determination of NHS staff and unions

the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt wrote
to the trade unions for a meeting which took place on
Wednesday 21st January. He wanted the strike to be
The offer to the health unions is a 1% consolidated
suspended or an extension of Emergency Ambulance pay rise beginning in April 2015, some concessions
cover.
to Ambulance staff and the offer of further talks
about redundancy pay.
The governments hand was forced following nuThe government would not have intervened if the
merous press reports on the crisis in the NHS and
union members had not stood firm and showed it
reports from trusts and ambulance trusts that the
was prepared to deliver further and longer industrial
12-hour strike would have a much greater impact
action. It demonstrates that the government can be
than the two four-hour strikes and that it was drawing moved when faced with determined action from the
in further groups from the workforce. It is also clear
union. Some members may also see this as a victory
that there is huge public anger about the crisis in the for the action they took.
NHS, which could be mobilised by the health union

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E-mail join@socialistparty.org.uk; phone 020 8988 8777; write to Socialist Party, PO Box 24697, London, E11 1YD

@Socialist_party

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However, the government has conceded nothing on

the pay claim for 2014, one of the key issues triggering the strike. Overall this offer does not represent
the aspirations of activists and members to return
what we have lost estimated to be 10-12% since
2010. Members already on at the top of their pay
grade will not get any increase at all.
More could be achieved if we had a determined and
strong leadership. It is a poor negotiator indeed who
manages to come up with less pay than what was
asked for when the opposition all but admit they are
in a difficult position!
Given the desperate situation the Tories have put
themselves in with the NHS it is not unreasonable
to think the union leaderships which is fixed into the
approach of concession bargaining did not see the
opportunity to win a better pay increase and knock
back the continual attacks on terms and conditions
and strike a blow against threats to unsocial hours
payments; nor is it unreasonable to think union leaders were interested in this two-year deal so they
could maintain industrial calm for the benefit of their
hoped for Labour Government after the General
Election.
Despite some concessions to the Ambulance workers, which the employers will look to attack, because
of the inadequacy of the offer, Socialist Party members on the UNISON Health SGE voted against suspending the strike action. Our members in Unite &
GMB also rejected the deal.

WWW.TUSC.ORG.UK
The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC)
was set-up in 2010 to enable trade unionists,
community campaigners and socialists to stand
candidates against the pro-austerity
establishment parties.
TUSC has a clear position of opposing all cuts, and
candidates endorse a clear 10-point programme
(see the website).
TUSC was co-founded by the late Bob Crow and
includes other leading trade union fighters and
socialists, including the Socialist Party.

There will now be some form of ballot putting the

offer to the membership, with a new strike date to be
looked at if the offer is rejected Friday 13th March
was suggested to coincide with the strike in Northern
Ireland.
Socialist Party members in the unions will campaign
for a rejection of the proposed offer. We will continue
to argue for increases in pay to reflect what we have
lost and that this can only be won through strong and
determined leadership and an explanation of where
the funds can be found to fund this as well as the
services we operate.
We know that this is only the first skirmish in what
will be ongoing attacks on our terms and conditions
to meet the demands of the austerity parties. Collective industrial action as we have seen will be the
only force to prevent these parties and big business
having their way.

The NSSN was initiated by the RMT in 2006. Eight

national unions RMT, PCS, CWU, NUM, POA, NUJ,
BFAWU & NAPO officially support our campaigning
work, as well as many union branches, shop stewards committees and trades councils.
What does NSSN do?
NSSN has played a role with others in TUC delegates decision to endorse coordinated action, and
we have worked to keep this strategy in profile. After
even more Coalition cuts its not only practical but
necessary.

Text JOIN with your name & postcode to 07761 818206

E-mail join@socialistparty.org.uk; phone 020 8988 8777; write to Socialist Party, PO Box 24697, London, E11 1YD

@Socialist_party

www.socialistparty.org.uk