The UK government has yet to implement the 3% NHS pay rise recommended for healthcare workers. According to a news reporter, when asked about the issue, the prime minister declared that the government will observe the recommendations again and will come to a conclusion.
The spokesperson explained that there will be no additional funding for pay if the recommended conditions exceed what departments have committed. However, at this point, the healthcare workers have responded negatively to this proposed raise.
Jim Fahie, the Assistant Director of Employment Relations, stated that a 3% National Health Service pay raise would be disappointing. He also suggested that the government should step up and act beyond the recommendations.
The UK government faced a wave of public sector strikes last summer. At that time, the government had accepted the recommendations of the independent public sector pay review to raise the pay of health workers, teachers, and others.
However, the ministers might be combating another headache over pay, and there is a higher chance of strikes from some unions.
Last year in July, the new Labour government approved the recommendations of these bodies to raise public sector pay by 4.75%, and 6% for the financial year 2024-25. Every year, new recommendations are proposed from these bodies, and traditionally, they are provided in the summer.
In September last year, the UK government planned to speed up the process and asked them for recommendations. By the Spring, the government asked them how much the public sector pays to increase in each sector in the 2025-26 financial year.
Though these issues have not been public till now, however, according to some reports, the recommendations are for more than the health and education departments. The health and education department stated that they could only raise their pay bills by 2.8% in England.
According to a report, the teachers’ pay body has recommended a 4% increase, and the NHS body has recommended a 3% raise.
Sir Keir Starmer does not want to see an overpay strike by the public sector workers. He also added that there is a much better way of doing business.
Care Minister, Stephen Kinnock, stated that the government had received the recommendations and would give them a needful consideration.
When asked about the possibility of strikes, Sir Keir stated that he doesn’t think anybody wants to see a strike again. He also added that it is a coincidence that all are in a healthcare environment at the time of speaking, and all the staff truly work hard.