London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

NHS pay: Nurses 1% pay offer 'a massive slap in the face'

NHS pay: Nurses 1% pay offer 'a massive slap in the face'

A 1% pay offer for nurses in Northern Ireland would be a "massive slap in the face", according to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in NI.

The union has set up a £35m fund for possible strike action after the proposal was made for nursing staff in England.

It has called for a 12.5% pay rise.

The RCN's NI director, Pat Cullen, said the union would await the outcome of a pay review before considering its next steps in NI.

The government has said the 1% offer represents what is "affordable" at a difficult time for public finances because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms Cullen, referring to the clap for carers initiative, said "it didn't take very long for government to move the claps to slaps".

She said that members, who "have carried us right through Covid... working 15-hour days on most days", were now feeling angry and let down.

"Did we anticipate this happening as quickly and to be let down as quickly? Probably not, but the government just seems to have a very short-term memory on this occasion," she added.

Pat Cullen said nurses feel let down by the government offer after their efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic
Ms Cullen said the RCN had "put substantial evidence to the pay review body", which is assessing the policy in Northern Ireland.

She said she anticipated the results of this to be known by May or June.

"Let's see what will happen then", she said, referring to the potential for members to be balloted for industrial action.

The prospect of a strike comes just more than a year since NI's largest health unions agreed to end months of industrial action over a pay and staffing levels dispute.


It is almost inconceivable that health workers find themselves in a position where they are talking about strike action again.

In fact, if these threats come to fruition, an already astonishing year will be bookended by walkouts and industrial action.

In the 14 months since, health and social care workers have gone from the picket line to the front line, as they joined the fight against Covid-19.

After the most difficult of years, it does feel scarcely credible that there's friction once again over a pay rise.

The government argues that 1% is all they can offer when there is a public sector pay freeze. But this offer has triggered "dismay and anger" among health unions.

One could argue health workers have the better hand. The support of the public will have been strengthened immensely over the last 14 months and that's something governments across the UK will have to filter into their negotiations.

The pay proposal in England covers most hospital staff, but does not cover GPs or dentists.

A government spokesperson said the plan was a "real-terms increase" as the latest official inflation figure was 0.9%.

RCN general secretary Dame Donna Kinnair said 1% would represent about £3.50 more per week in take-home pay for an experienced nurse.

Stormont's Department of Health said "any decision on a pay award for NI health workers will be taken after the pay review bodies make their recommendations".

"We do not intend to pre-empt those recommendations.

"Our pay award decisions can also only be taken in the context of a wider public sector pay policy set by the Department of Finance."

On Saturday, a joint statement issued by the RCN, Unison, Nipsa and Unite unions said members in NI had responded to the government proposal with "dismay and anger".

"They know their worth and value, as does the public and all those who have been cared for by them over the last year," it said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×