Dumfries and Galloway healthcare workers accept new pay offer

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Healthcare workers have accepted a new pay offer. Members of the Unison and GMB Scotland unions have voted to take the latest deal on offer from the Scottish Government, which Health Secretary Humza Yousaf made after workers voted for strike action.

It means staff covered by the Agenda for Change scheme will receive an average pay increase of 6.5 per cent – as well as a one-off 1.5 per cent payment – which will begin at the start of next month.

That’s on top of a pay rise already imposed for 2022/23. GMB Scotland senior organiser for public services, Keir Greenaway, said: “Three-fifths of our members have voted to accept this offer, removing the threat of strike action across NHS Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service this year on pay and conditions. “Make no mistake, the strike mandates secured by our members is what pushed the Cabinet Secretary to continuously improve his proposals over the last nine months.

As a result, frontline staff, and not least the lowest paid, have won significant increases to their consolidated pay and conditions. “However, we would also warn that no one in government circles should be naïve enough to think this puts the issue of worker value back in the box. “The sizeable minority of members who voted to reject the offer illustrate the point and this sends a loud and clear message on future pay offers.