UK PM Sunak signals he is open to discussing pay rises for nurses

Rishi Sunak is beneath strain to enhance wage presents to healthcare employees amid a wave of public sector strikes over wages.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stated he’s prepared to debate pay rises for nurses forward of a gathering with public sector commerce union leaders in an effort to finish the most important wave of commercial disputes in many years.

The UK’s Nationwide Well being Service (NHS), lengthy treasured and funded by taxpayers, delivers free care to all, however is beneath pressure following years of relative underinvestment and the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The strikes involving nurses and ambulance staff, employees shortages, and winter flu have led some hospitals to declare vital incidents. Sufferers are dealing with hours-long waits for ambulances, and a few are being handled in corridors.

Sunak, who’s beneath rising strain together with from members of his Conservative Occasion to enhance wage presents to healthcare employees, stated the federal government was prepared to have conversations with union leaders about pay, regardless of ministers beforehand refusing to reopen talks about this yr’s deal.

“We wish to have an inexpensive, trustworthy, two-way dialog about pay,” Sunak advised the BBC on Sunday. “The door has all the time been open to speak in regards to the issues that nurses wish to speak about, and the unions wish to speak about extra typically.”

Pat Cullen, the pinnacle of the Royal School of Nursing union, stated she had a “chink of optimism” after noticing a “little shift” within the prime minister’s stance.

The federal government will maintain a gathering on Monday with union officers representing public sector staff corresponding to nurses and prepare drivers.

The principle opposition Labour Occasion and the Unite union, which represents ambulance staff, accused Sunak of constructing deceptive statements over the provide to barter pay.

Labour stated the prime minister was taking nurses and ambulance staff “for fools” as a result of the federal government has made it clear it could solely negotiate pay rises for subsequent yr.

Unions have stated they’ll solely name off strikes within the subsequent few weeks if presents are made to resolve the disputes over this yr’s pay settlement.

1000’s of nurses in Britain will go on strike once more on January 18 and 19 after strolling out on two days in December. Ambulance staff are as a consequence of go on strike on January 23.

Sunak repeatedly refused to say throughout the interview on Sunday whether or not he makes use of personal healthcare, insisting the problem is a “distraction from the issues that actually matter”.

“As a normal coverage I wouldn’t ever speak about me or my household’s healthcare scenario,” he stated. “It’s probably not related.”

Sunak additionally stated it’s “not a given” that inflation will sluggish this yr amid ongoing wage negotiations.

Decreasing inflation “is a perform of getting a accountable financial coverage with regards to issues like pay”, he famous.

“It’s not a on condition that it simply occurs,” Sunak stated. “It’s important to proceed to be disciplined and make the appropriate, accountable selections.”