3% rise for NHS workers , is it enough?

[thecatmother]

With shame I admit, that I have hardly given a thought to how hard our NHS workers have it, or how little they earned. Last couple of years have really put it into perspective for me, pandemic and personal circumstances.
This news just popped on my phone screen, 3% is pitiful.

In comparison, I have a cousin who settled in the US and is a nurse in A&E(City hospital, so not private) and her salary is 83$k per year. And she lives a very comfortable life, compared perhaps to upper middle class here.
We celebrate our NHS and, on our side,we pay our taxes, so why is it only 3%?

@Marmitemarinaded

* think I touched a nerve with you. My point was, is 3% enough?*

But how you say “enough” without knowing what is the current situation and how compares with private sector Health care workers?

And that is why I am asking. To learn, and to educate myself.

It's a lot more than most will get and, I think fair, given the economic climate.

BUT I'd like to see a commitment to another 2% in 2023. We aren't out of the woods yet and we've asked a huge amount of the nhs as a whole.

I find it jarring that we get 3% but Scotland get 4% considering it’s effectively the same purse.

I work in an industry which has been devastated by Covid. I was furloughed for a total of five months between April 2020 & March 2021.

I’m now one of the lucky ones who wasn’t made redundant, and I’m back working full time, on 85% of my normal salary. I would love to have a 3% pay rise, on top of my normal salary, but there is zero chance of that, or any other pay rises for the foreseeable future.

Some, but by no means all, NHS workers have had a tough 18 months. They also have a level of job & pension security which millions of people who work in the hospitality, travel, aviation & events industries can only dream of. They should check their privileges.

They have the job security they have, because they are a vital and necessary resource, that now, more than ever, we are all depending on. They can also take their pick of where else to go in the world, if they're sick of busting their arses in the under-resourced, over-worked, run-down monolith that is the NHS. And that's just talking retention. I'm damned if I can see why anyone would go into it right now - except to go elsewhere for a job asap.

I think maybe we should check who needs who the most. Right Now.

Here's a nice chart that shows how in real terms nurses are paid about -6% below what they were paid in real terms.

Annual wage inflation is 4% and prices are up 3.1% so this 'increase' is in fact another real term decrease.

After all the supposed love for nhs heroes it's a disgrace.

I think perhaps some people are a bit too sanguine about what could be the reality in the coming months. From the top down.

Pay for a nurse of my grade has dropped 20% in relation to inflation over ten years. There are many professions who could do without a fifth of their pay.

3% is only just over inflation, and the tiny increase would be eaten up by increases to nurse reg fees and the hospital parking charges being reinstated.

It isn't good enough. Until we pay nurses fairly they will continue to leave the profession in droves. Staffing levels are so low currently it is unsafe - less than half the nursing roles in my team are currently filled. The nurses we have work flat out, in a way that isn't sustainable. Things only get worse without pay improving.

@Stompythedinosaur I'm in awe and some slight disbelief at how many of you are still there.

I don't know but I guess do people want to pay more tax in whatever form eg inheritance, income etc.

Wage stagnation has happened across the vast majority of industries.

How's about a wealth tax? For that very small percentage that hold so much of the wealth, both landed and otherwise? Oh, no, that would never work. Why?

"We celebrate our NHS and, on our side,we pay our taxes, so why is it only 3%?"

Because the tories are in charge. It's shite but for as long as they are in power nothing will change.

I think doctors have had real term 30% pay cut since Tory governments came in 10 years ago, it came up on my newsfeed recently. So 3% seems ridiculously low

Hmm I think 1.5% plus 1.5% bonus is okay, but it also depends how often payrises are given. If staff receive 1.5% increase year on year, in line with inflation thats fine. If they have had pay frozen for years its not that great.

I used to work at a big org and in the end they gave everyone 1% and uplifted everyone at the bottom of their band to the middle of their band which I thought was good.

Are increments up the pay scales still allowed?

No. We should at least match Scotland, 4% plus a bonus.

People are already walking following the shit show that is covid. The Government need to do something to keep the rest of us.

The problem is that while a lot of the public sector jobs have been secure and safe in terms of there still being a job to do (compared to a lot of private sector jobs and whole industries) they havent been "safe" in regard to covid and come with an enormous increase in workload and responsibilities (I'm thinking nursing and frontline healthcare and emergency services, as well as community nursing and care home staff, teachers, prison officers etc)
People in those jobs will be burnt out and theres not much to encourage a new cohort of new starters.

I workin the private sector and have had 1 4% payrise in 10 years..but I'm not saving peoples lives, or doing anything considered essential.

@MistySkiesAfterRain

Hmm I think 1.5% plus 1.5% bonus is okay, but it also depends how often payrises are given. If staff receive 1.5% increase year on year, in line with inflation thats fine. If they have had pay frozen for years its not that great.

I used to work at a big org and in the end they gave everyone 1% and uplifted everyone at the bottom of their band to the middle of their band which I thought was good.

Yes, but this is not in line with inflation.

@GirlAloud

I work in an industry which has been devastated by Covid. I was furloughed for a total of five months between April 2020 & March 2021.

I’m now one of the lucky ones who wasn’t made redundant, and I’m back working full time, on 85% of my normal salary. I would love to have a 3% pay rise, on top of my normal salary, but there is zero chance of that, or any other pay rises for the foreseeable future.

Some, but by no means all, NHS workers have had a tough 18 months. They also have a level of job & pension security which millions of people who work in the hospitality, travel, aviation & events industries can only dream of. They should check their privileges.

Wow

How's about a wealth tax? For that very small percentage that hold so much of the wealth, both landed and otherwise? Oh, no, that would never work. Why?

It's the fairest thing to do however the 1% will be able to avoid & the well off middle classes won't vote for it as their house needs to be passed down to help their dc have a house or their BTL is their pension. The housing market has completely mucked up the economy.

There was outrage when Teresa May suggested care in the home should be means tested.

It is hard to know what to say, I was embarrassed when the RCN started talking about 12.5% but 1% was insulting. Yes we have job security and a pension but we are on our knees, we desperately need more staff. I have just come if 2 13 hour days and I am so exhausted my legs barely carried me up the stairs.

Covid is causing so many problems again we are working flat out with a much reduced staffing. I don't know how much longer I can do this.

I'm afraid, I think it's bloody bonkers that millionaires, billionaires, can draw a pension.

That on the income level we are on, we are not required to contribute when we see the GP.

That we don't pay for our stationery, but the school does, when we can easily afford to do so.

I'm not a Tory by the way. By any stretch of the imagination.

But I do think those that can afford to contribute more, should contribute more. And that there's a significant minority in this country that should be contributing a hell of a lot more. From the monarchy down, up to, and including valuable land, that is non-producing and could be used as productive land or lands for development. Oh crap. Now I'm sounding downright socialist, aren't I? But the inequity in this country, and the lethargy to actually address it, is heart breaking.

A senior software engineer in the bay area is on 300k here in the UK it is much less. Us salaries are often much higher so cannot be compared

Are increments up the pay scales still allowed?

The increment scale is really misunderstood.

When the Agenda for Change was agreed it was agreed that the top pay of a band is what a professional of that level should be paid, but the government chose to put in an incremental payscale taking money away for "inexperience". So although nurses and other NHS workers have a pay increment each year, they are really earning back money they should always have had.

Moreover, the staff we need most to retain are experienced staff, who are no longer entitled to incremental steps within their pay.