..to ask what Mumsnetters think of the withholding of a 1% pay increase to NHS workers who are due an 'increment'

[Nuffieldnurseshome]

Unsurprisingly , yes I am an NHS worker, a nurse. I feel incredibly angry that after two years of a pay freeze, NHS workers, who are predominantly females, many of which in part time employment, will not be getting any pay rise again this year.

Are we immune to inflation? Has the value of what we do gone down?

The government has totally shafted us in my opinion, the 'increments' are part and parcel of our t&c and are there to reflect the skills and experience you gain over a defined period in the job. The other option is to pay everyone the 'fair' or 'going rate' from day one which in my opinion is more than just over £21k for the people who will be keeping you alive if you are unfortunate to require such care.

How is it fair that the get can ride roughshod over its own workers contracts, giving what amount to preferential rates to some of it staff but not others??????

And before anyone says well NHS workers needs to bear the brunt of austerity just the same as everyone else, yes, I agree but we still need a living wage, and I for one have list money in increase dense contributions ( even tho nurses pension pot is not and never has been in a deficit), loss of clothing allowance and loss of mileage allowance ( I now pay the NHS to use my own vehicle to visit clients!)

Honestly, what do we all think of this?

20% paycut in my private sector job. That's an actual paycut, not a payrise that doesn't match inflation. No perks, shitty statutory minimum holidays (that's 20 days per year), no sick pay beyond SSP, no maternity pay beyond SMP, if I get made redundant I'll get one week's pay per year worked, no pension contributions from my employer and I can't afford my own.

I understand that NHS workers feel insulted, and everyone being in the same shitty boat isn't right either. But before you lash out at anyone pointing out that the private sector have a worse deal, just remember that aside from a few (is your DP taking on btw???) they really do have it worse so it is exceptionally hard to find huge reserves of sympathy.

I think it's disgusting, I also think it's interesting that Scotland have decided they can afford the 1% rise for their frontline staff. I'd strike if my union voted to.

You have my sympathy. I'm also in the public sector. No pay rise for years, and increased contributions to a pension I won't get till I'm at least 67. At least I could leave and find work elsewhere, but as a nurse you're pretty much stuck with the NHS.

(My dh works in the private sector and has had a small pay rise each year, and a bonus. He can take his pension at 65.)

It's the same for the people in the Armed Forces, but no-one ever mentions them!

Not lashing out at anyone in the private sector - just tired of the meeja spinning it so that everyone things we are all overpaid and feckless.

You NEVER see articles lashing out at private sector employees for their terms of employment but public sector workers of any sort seem to be fair game. I don't think that is fair but I do think it sells papers and gets votes!

(OK, fat cats do get some meeja attention but everyone accepts that people like Fred the Shred will walk away all cosy and rich)

Yes, it's tedious but the private sector aargument is relevant too. Dh had to take a 10% pay cut four years ago. Has had pay frozen for the same amount of time, when he used to get an inflationary rise every year, Cso in real terms is substantially worse off. Crap holidays, no pension.

I'm ex NHS so I have a huge amount of sympathy for you as well though.

Sorry for typos.

But Where is the evidence that the private sector is struggling as much as the GVT says? ( isn't the Uk seeing modest growth at present!!??)

Please don't flame me, and no this isn't ( please) about public vs private sector, but I just feel this is about the GVT using one sector against the other to justify its horrific policies.

the actual 1% is not a permanent increase either, it is non consolidated so it doesnt add to your basic salary or go towards pension payments. next year they say we will get 2% but seen as this years is non consolidated it will be 2% from your basic salary so in effect only 1% again.

I work in the private sector, due to some changes in our bonus structure and expenses we can no longer claim I will earn about 12-13k less this year. I still think its absolutely outrageous what the govt are doing to nurses. My best friend is a nurse and she is always having to try and pick up extra shifts just to get by.

I don't doubt that when the shit hit the fan public sector bore the brunt of it( DP's company lost 100k one day alone and had to make redundancies, take a 20% ish pay cut! virtual nervous breakdown over it all) but from where I am standing ( one foot in each camp) it looks like in general terms private sector is looking much better but public sector is being shafted.

Nuffield please don't pretend that your view of one relatively small company puts you into a position to judge the situation for every private sector worker in the country.

If you think we're better off, go into private nursing/caring. Just be prepared to drop to NMW whilst someone else enjoys the economic recovery from your hard work.

Sorry but I've not had a pay rise and I'm in the private sector. It's disappointing, but if you really feel undervalued why not change career? I would consider changing my career except I don't mind the lack of pay rise, low interest rates compensate for it in my case (ie I have a mortgage so saving money on that).

That's a bit much, ballinacup.

Nuffield gives and example and gets told she's being unreasonable but the posters above gave their single company examples and that was OK?

We all know a someone who makes one side of the story. All I ask is that my public sector perspective is not sneered at!

Ballin,

I am not pretending anything at all.

I am speaking from personal experience, that is all.

I am not saying that envy one in the public sector has it 'easy'. I know that's not the case. My DP has seen the entire landscape of what he does shift over the last five years and his company lives hand to mouth, no more proper contracts or bargaining power. He bears the brunt of this every single day.

But how does the GVT shafting it's biggest, and let's face it very modestly paid workforce help us all as a nation??

Do we all want less experienced, less comitted, less well edicts de staff faring for us, because if that's ok to all of us then fine but don't expect top quality care or compassion.

I'm not sneering at you but when the vast majority of private sector workers are all saying the same thing why should we be doubted on the back of one, relatively small, company?

Changing career or moving into the private sector for care work are both options available to the OP, are they not? I will be starting a PGCE course in September because I'd rather see some financial bonus to working all of the hours god sends. The OP could jump ship just as easily.

Nuffield, sorry to quote Johnny Rotten but it's your career choice. If you want to provide sub par care to patients because you feel your pay is unfair you shouldn't be a nurse.

Pay freeze , no increment rises and a pension increase to 14 % contributions here. Public sector worker also. Any increment or pay rise would be welcome here. I think right now this is something we have to suck up. Don't like it but I have a job unlike so many others so although I don't feel like it most of the time I try to count my blessing!

Nuffield just read your last post. Please do something positive and resign I would not want someone with such a last of compassion or care looking after my family.

Ballin
"If you want to provide sub par care to patients because you feel your pay is unfair you shouldn't be a nurse."

Where did the OP post that?

IMO. it is unfair and getting just a little bit personal.

And just to balance things up, my private sector relative working in sports administration has received 2.5-4% pay rises over the last 4 years, annual bonuses averaging £3-4k and has other benefits such as a subsidised staff restaurant and paid overtime.

Public v private is a red herring. We're all just people trying to make enough to keep the wolf from the door without the luxury of 11% pay rises, and anyone who gets too hung up on who has it worse is falling for the government's divide-and-conquer tactics.

Anyone whose wage isn't keeping pace with inflation and which doesn't reflect their increasing skills and experience is being hard done by, regardless of which sector they work in.

You're starting a PGCE? Then you will very soon know what it is to be asked for the impossible.

That financial reward you are expecting? It comes at a very, very high price. Why do you think so many teachers are also complaining - and being shouted down by the meeja and the ever delightful Goviot?

Young teachers are leaving the profession in droves, the older ones are being turfed out to make space for less experienced, cheaper ones. You will not find the grass any greener over here!

Yes, my very good friend in the private sector got a well deserved £5000 bonus at Christmas. I am happy for her, but don't tell me the private sector have it harder when I get my redundancy notice from the NHS on Monday.

I'm elsewhere in the public sector and we have had an actual freeze for years because we had no increments. This year it was 1% dead. It'll be the same next year too.

I suspect that when they introduced the pay freeze they didn't actually realise that there would be a big divide between those with increments, who got raises of about 6% through the freeze and those without, who got 0%.

The Government wants to get rid of increments entirely from all public sector jobs. I do not know how they think this will comply with equality laws. Or how they think they will retain the staff they need to run things.

As a fellow nurse, I never met one who didn't have a fantastic two week holiday every year. You clearly aren't working shifts and doing bank work for the enhancements they bring. Don't choose a cushy community number then complain about the salary