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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Jessica Elgot, Denis Campbell, Heather Stewart, Pippa Crerar and Richard Adams

Ministers could offer one-off payments as way to end public sector strikes

Steve Barclay NHS Gillian Keegan NEU RCN Downing Street
Members of the Royal College of Nursing union demonstrating outside St Thomas’ hospital on 7 February
Members of the Royal College of Nursing union demonstrating outside St Thomas’ hospital on 7 February. Strike action by nurses next week has been called off. Photograph: Tejas Sandhu/Sopa Images/Rex/Shutterstock

Ministers have been given the freedom to talk to unions about pay settlements that could include backdated or one-off payments as ways to end the escalating series of public sector strikes.

But Downing Street said it was critical unions agreed to call off planned industrial action before talks could begin, as the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) did on Tuesday.

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