Nurses and healthcare staff have voted 'overwhelmingly' to accept a new pay offer from NHS Scotland.
Members of the Unite union were balloted on a 5.5% increase, backdated to April 1 of this year, which will mean a new hourly rate of £12.71 and a minimum uplift of £1,278 for the lowest paid workers.
Members voted by 93% to accept the offer, which the union said was the "best negotiable" in the current financial climate.
As well as nurses, Unite members in NHS Scotland include workers in estates, porters, the ambulance service, medical equipment management, scientists and theatre roles.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “Unite’s thousands of members working in NHS Scotland have overwhelmingly backed a good pay offer which has been successfully negotiated by their union.
“Unite will always stand up for better jobs, pay and conditions in the health service because NHS Scotland workers should be rewarded for their outstanding work and professionalism.”
James O’Connell, Unite lead negotiator for the health sector said: “Unite has secured an inflation beating pay increase for our NHS Scotland membership. We believe the offer was the best negotiable under the present public financial circumstances, and it will provide a significant boost to take-home pay.”
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