Am I missing something? Why are we not more angry about the NHS agenda for change pay rise 2024/25?

[TeenLifeMum]

The NHS pay rise is supposed to be announced September before it comes in. Government didn’t start the independent review until November (I think), and it’s still not been announced. They’re saying we’ll get back pay in September (but that messes people up who are on UC).

No one seems to be mentioning it even.

I have just seen this article on the BBC:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68735677

20% pay rise for some consultants!

Why are nurses treated so differently

Bloody hell.

Seriously how do they not justify an equal pay rise for nurses.
Great for consultants and yes they deserve it but so do all the other NHS staff working bloody hard for crap pay along side them.

I also see train drivers on 60k are striking. Are they better qualified than a nurse with a degree plus post graduate specialist qualifications / masters degree? Sorry something is a little off with pay in this country now.
RCN really needs to get it's act together and push for higher pay.

Agree the pay rise for consultants is well deserved and the same rise should also be given to the rest of the staff working alongside them. I can't see how they can justify not doing so?!

RCN really need to fight for us here.

I’m surprised too that there hasn’t been more discussion about it on here.

Everywhere say that the band 2 payment per hour is 11.45. This is not true because is not even that much , is less, on my payslips is 11.4470 per hour...they should rounding down not up

Consultants got 20% because they didn't role over and agree the 1st offer to put it bluntly. The RCN played silly buggers with the other members of the joint consultative committee ie unison, physio union and others by pushing for a different pay scale as part of it which still hasn't happened and will cause other issues if it does. Then unfortunately the lower paid band 2 to 4 were so desperate for the pay they voted for the " massive " rise while others followed the poor union advice form most unions. The unions failed, did not really represent their workers and were divided, we lost on all accounts

no we get the same pay for working less hours it's equivalent to a 1.3% pay rise

@chocolaterevs I do think that having higher earning potential down the line is something to factor in. Many junior / newly qualified lawyers (esp barristers + any criminal/ public work) for example, are on peanuts but stay because of the earning potential. And I think that's ok.

What's not ok is when those people can't afford to live properly. A junior professional (thinking newly qualified in medicine/law/teaching) IMO should be able to afford their own flat, their bills, their food, transportation & have a modest amount left over for spending. Not saying they should be paid crazy money just because they are a qualified XYZ, but I don't see how it can be right for anybody who works 35+ hours per week to not be able to afford to live.

100% agree...the consultants got a better offer and junior doctors can afford to fight on...but there are a lot of us on Agenda For Change😒 contracts and those on lower bands, especially single people or single people with children simply could not afford to turn the offer down, particularly when the bonus was flashed in front of them.

I also believe a certain amount of misogyny could be at play here...an earlier comment mentioned train drivers on £60,000 compared to nurses band 5 salary. Are they more qualified - no. Is the job more difficult or more responsible - no. Are train drivers more likely to be male - yes. Are nurses more likely to be female - yes.

As for splitting nurses off and giving them a separate pay scale - that would be incredibly unfair to the many many other people, also working hard and also doing very essential roles within the NHS. It would be more appropriate to re-look at the bands jobs have been assigned to, it isn't the pay scale that is wrong but where on the pay scale some jobs have been placed.

Definitely misogyny at play! I agree.

I'm looking forward to hearing if there will be any increase at all. The whole situation is becoming laughable. Guessing something will be announced later this year.

The longer this drags out the lower inflation goes and gives them reasons for a very low rise. I expect similar to the recommended for teachers tbh: But it’s ok the mps got themselves a nice rise yet again.

Negotiations open on a given date to the trade unions by employers then comes a series of meetings until an offer is on the table following much argi bargi after which trade union members are consulted and votes taken etc.
Trade unions issue regular updates to their members in order to carry out the consultation with them.
I'm not sure if employers issue anything.
Employees should have access to the information available. If that makes sense.
It takes a long time.

Yes it has been very quiet hasn't it? Suspiciously so.
MPs got a 5.5% pay rise so I guess I'll vote to strike if we get offered less than that. Could do with it by September though so I hope they hurry up

I've read it will be around 3.5% this year. Given what MPs and doctors got I think it's not good enough.
I'm cross this year at having to wait, all my bills went up in April and yet my wage stayed the same. I'm now worse off again in my pocket and that's unfair in my opinion

Yep - been in nhs for 10 years, this year the government delayed the launch, presumably so they won’t have striking nurses pre election.

It's not just NHS my DD works for our local council and last year's pay rise took from April, when it should have been sorted to December when as a pp pointed out a huge chunk went to her student loan. The whole situation is a shit show. It's time all of us were paid a decent living wage and we shouldn't have to fight every year.

Yes lots of shenanigans go on with the employers

It's time everyone joined the trade unions and stood together against paltry pay rises 👍

Yep that's what happened last year and it didn't work. RCN bailed 1st . I do not blame the lower bands in need of the money for accepting the rise. It's completely understandable, but I still feel all the unions just gave up. Not really sure why they thought it was a good offer. This year 3% if we are lucky I think.

Yep. I feel the same. Seething, livid and ready to leave.

Been in nhs for 38 years took pension back on bank no payment last year now none nhs staff are getting the payment who helped the nhs through covid even though we all worked through covid can not understand why the unions are not fighting for all staff now there is a two teir workforce are bank not as important if it weren't for bank staff wards wouldn't be able to run

And the back pay with normal pay means being taxed to the hilt.
They have it well planned to claw back as much as possible.

I doubt it. They’re not interested in people who care about the NHS. They lost us all a long time ago.

Unfortunately, that happens in lots of organisations. There is a larger debate about UC payments becoming nil following a back dated pay award, essentially meaning the money owned by the employer is lost. I'm in the same position. I'm a single parent to two, one disabled, and a home owner, I regularly go with out meals, my UC is a small amount that I'm grateful for, but it formed part of my mortgage offer last year.

Our backdated pay is due around June 2024, backdated to August 2023...but it's 4%, works out roughly around £1500 more per annum. I'm looking to see if this can be made in installments. Will also affect my student loan payment and will also lose Scottish child payment.

What I'm saying is, you're not alone, it's totally shit how organisations can drag their heels like this and cause si much hassle for some.