Nurses are to strike in Wales next month after members chose to reject the latest NHS pay offer from the Welsh Government. Nurses union, the Royal College of Nurses, balloted its members in the two weeks prior to May 10 over a revised offer from the Welsh Government which was described as “significant” and "final", but members have narrowly decided to reject the offer.
The new offer, which took several weeks to reach, included a one-off 3% payment, backdated to last year, and a 5% offer from the start of April. The government said the package offered meant those at the bottom of Band 5, which includes nurses and other health care professionals just starting their careers in NHS Wales, would have received a total pay increase of more than 17% for the financial years for 2022-23 and 2023-24.
It would have seen starting salaries at £28,834. Lowest paid NHS staff would have received a pay increase of more than 26% over 2022-23 and 2023-24, which meant a starting salary of £22,720. You can get more health news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
