Thousands of nurses look set to strike on Thursday after last-minute talks between union officials and the Welsh Government failed. Nurses across Wales will walk out on Thursday, December 15 and Tuesday, December 20 in a row over pay.
Union members of the the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) announced on November 9 that nursing staff at all NHS employers across Wales had voted to take strike action over pay and patient safety, however Aneurin Bevan University Health Board did not meet the legal threshold of a 50% turnout. The union claims an experienced nurse has seen their pay decline by at least 20% in real terms due to successive below-inflation awards since 2010 and has asked for 5% above the RPI rate of inflation which stands at over 12%.
The strikes will see many routine services across Wales cancelled but key services such as chemotherapy, dialysis and critical care will go head. Thursday's strikes now look even more likely to go ahead after union officials including those from the RCN met with Welsh health secretary Eluned Morgan on Monday but no agreement was reached. Talks had been organised to discuss possibilities to avoid industrial action but the union said Ms Morgan had failed to put forward any increase pay.
Read more: Everywhere nurses will walk out on December 15 and 20 as strikes confirmed
The RCN says nurses are "significantly worse off" than they were ten years ago and that the number of vacancies for registered nurses in NHS Wales has risen to an unprecedented 3,000. It said the union's dispute with the Welsh Government is about pay and patient safety but the the Welsh Government previously said it recognised why nurses voted the way they did but was unable to address the pay issues without more money being made available by the UK government. However, officials said it has made contingency plans to ensure a "safe level of staffing" on Thursday.
Helen Whyley Director, RCN Wales, said the strikes were "inevitable in Wales because the Welsh Government is making it so" and that it was the second time in two weeks that the Welsh Government had called a meeting without proposing a new pay offer. "Our door is always open for a meaningful discussion on fair pay for nursing but this must be a significant increase. The Welsh Government’s prolonging of this unnecessary crisis is reckless, self-defeating, and in no one’s interest.
"Low pay is fanning the flames of a workforce crisis and the rising number of registered nurse vacancies is already putting patients at risk. The pressure means nurses are caught between their responsibilities to their patients, their families, and their own health.
"Enough is enough. Research shows low nurse staffing levels are linked to poor patient outcomes including an increase in patient mortality when then there aren't enough staff on shift. If the Welsh Government is serious about patient safety, they must act now. Nursing staff must be paid fairly for the safety critical work they do.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "The Minister for Health and Social Services met again with NHS unions today. We recognise the difficult position of those who work in the NHS in Wales and the strength of feeling. However, without additional funding from the UK government we are not able to make an increased pay offer without risking a reduction in services.
“Whilst we were unable to avert the forthcoming industrial action, all partners have agreed to keep talking and to continue to work together on key issues."
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