NHS staff in Scotland are ready to take industrial action unless the Scottish Government comes forward with an above-inflation pay offer, according to a new poll of non-clinical workers.
Details of the survey, conducted by GMB Scotland, have been shared with The Herald ahead of long-delayed pay talks due to take place today between unions and Neil Gray, the Cabinet Secretary for Health.
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The Scottish Government will want staff to accept the new public sector pay framework, which sets out that workers should expect an uplift of 9.3% over the next three years.
Effectively, that means anyone accepting a deal this year would not need to negotiate again until 2027/28, after the next Holyrood election.
However, 81% of the GMB’s members want a one-year deal rather than this three-year deal.
The poll also shows that 87% are ready to strike if this deal is not acceptable.
Earlier this week, two pay review bodies who advise the UK Government recommended a 5.5% wage rise for teachers and NHS staff south of the border.
When asked if the new Labour government would approve this, Chancellor Rachel Reeves hinted that they could, saying that there was a “cost to not settling.”
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Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland’s senior organiser in public services, said this had “not gone unnoticed” by Scottish staff.
He told The Herald: “Our members have clearly indicated their overwhelming support for a one-year offer and willingness to take industrial action to secure a fair pay rise.
“An above inflation offer is crucial to begin closing the gulf between salary rises in the public and private sector.
“That gap must be narrowed and only negotiations delivering a fair and straightforward offer to NHS Scotland staff will do that.
“The apparent readiness of the Westminster government to promptly and fairly recognise the work of public sector staff elsewhere in the UK has not gone unnoticed by our members.”
"GMB Scotland’s survey of NHS staff also revealed strong support for measures to continue reducing the working week with 86% of workers supporting the move to ease pressure on staff while protecting the service and patient care.”
The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
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