The leader of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has called on the health secretary to restart pay negotiations with a proposed rise in double digits.
Most health unions accepted an offer of a 5% rise for 2023-24 and a one-off backdated payment for last year, following a 4% rise for 2022-23.
The RCN has rejected the deal.
A source from the Department of Health said the pay offer was final, with Energy Secretary Grant Shapps calling the deal on the table “very generous”.
Speaking to the Times, union boss Pat Cullen praised her “courageous” members and urged ministers to reopen talks, starting with an offer of a double-digit pay rise over the two-year period.
The RCN had last year called for a rise of 5% above the RPI inflation rate, which peaked above 14% in October, but no UK nation has offered close to that.
It later called for RCN union members to accept the government deal, but they voted against it by 54% to 46%.
The nursing union will now ballot for further strike action…
This article was written by and originally published on www.bbc.co.uk