Nurses in Forth Valley set to strike for first time in history over pay and conditions dispute

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Nurses are set to go on strike across Forth Valley for the first time in their history.The action has been confirmed following a ballot of members from the Royal College of Nursing union, with nurses approving the move in every health board across the country as part of the ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions.In Forth Valley, members voted decisively in favour of the landmark move - with 1,149 of the 1,201 votes cast in the region saying yes to heading out on strike.The most recent pay offer from the Scottish Government was for a flat rate of £2,205 per person, backdated to April - but RCN chiefs have called for a five per cent rise above the current rate of inflation.They confirmed that all strike action would be carried out “legally and safely”, with detailed plans and timelines for action set to be announced later.Julie Lamberth, RCN Scotland Board Chair, said: “NHS pay is a political choice and for Scottish government ministers to suggest to nursing staff that fair pay should come at the expense of key services is insulting both to our members and the people of Scotland, who recognise that these services are already understaffed and rely on the good will of nursing staff to keep going.“The Scottish government needs to face up to the reality that their failure to focus on workforce planning and to properly value those working in health and social care over the last decade is the root cause of the staffing crisis we face.“The result of our strike ballot is a wake-up call that must not be ignored.”An NHS Forth Valley spokeswoman confirmed to the Observer that work will be undertaken to plan ahead for any action and that “everything possible” will be done to ensure that disruption to local services owing to