NHS workers rally outside Lanarkshire hospital as possibility of strike action looms over pay

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Health service workers took part in a rally outside University Hospital Wishaw on Wednesday.NHS workers including Lanarkshire nurses are currently locked in a pay dispute and are being balloted for strike action.Members of organisers Unison were joined by counterparts from other unions including the Royal College of Nursing and GMB in the street outside the hospital.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android A five per cent pay increase offer from the Scottish Government has been rejected with union bosses labelling it a "real-terms pay cut".Outlining its offer to the union the Scottish Government said it had committed an overall £342m in available funding to uplift “Agenda for Change pay rates” which would enable a pay rise of five per cent, and would implement a “pay floor” increase to £10.50 per hour for the lowest paid staff.Unison, which is Scotland’s largest NHS trade union, rejected the offer and its members were balloted for strike action earlier this month, with papers to be returned by October 31.Around 50,000 health workers have been balloted.

It’s the first time since Scotland’s devolved parliament was introduced that they have been balloted for strike action.A second rally is scheduled for University Hospital Monklands on Wednesday, October 26.Wilma Brown, chair of UNISON Scotland’s health