A pay dispute involving NHS workers and ambulance staff has only been partly resolved.
Members of the Unison and Unite unions have agreed to accept the latest pay offer from the Scottish Government.
However, members of GMB Scotland have rejected the bid, which they say “doesn’t go far enough”.
Workers had previously voted to strike after rejecting a five per cent pay offer.
That action was suspended after a “best and final” pay offer was put to unions with members of Unite and Unison – the largest NHS union – voting to accept the deal.
General secretary of Unite Sharon Graham said the improved offer had been the result of “the resolve of our members”.
She added: “They were prepared to take the difficult step in taking industrial action but only because they had no other option left.
“Unite makes no apologies for fighting for better jobs, pay and conditions in the health service because NHS Scotland workers should be fairly rewarded for the outstanding work that they do day in and day out.”
Chairman of the union’s health committee Wilma Brown said: “Whilst this decision ends the immediate threat of industrial action, it is not a win for government - it is a warning.
“It was far from a unanimous decision and many of the NHS professional grades feel badly let down.
“Almost half of Unison NHS staff voted to reject this latest pay offer and many who did vote to accept, did so reluctantly.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We have engaged tirelessly with trade union representatives over recent weeks, leaving no stone unturned to reach an offer which responds to the key concerns of staff across the service. This offer of over half a billion pounds underlines our commitment to supporting our fantastic NHS staff.”
Two-thirds of GMB Scotland members voted to reject the offer.
The union has a mandate for strike action in the Scottish Ambulance Service and a number of health boards – but not NHS Dumfries and Galloway.
Senior organiser for public service, Keir Greenaway, said: “The result reflects our members’ views and the realities of this offer.
“It is still below inflation for the vast majority of staff, who worked through the depths of the pandemic and are struggling in the grip of this cost-of-living crisis, and it doesn’t go far enough in itself to confront the understaffing crisis affecting frontline services either.”
