GMB North West & Irish Region
5 March 2013

Employers said the decision was an “important step”, which included the introduction of locally-negotiated performance pay.

 
Rehana Azam, national officer of the GMB Trade-Union, said: “GMB Trade-Union and others who voted to reject the offer today remain of the view that the National NHS Council exists to support, retain, improve and maintain the national Agenda for Change agreement, and only through a national agreement can we retain a National Health Service.”
Employers said the decision was an “important step”, which included the introduction of locally-negotiated performance pay.
 
Unison, the biggest union in the health service, said it was a “difficult decision taken in difficult times”.
 
National officer Christina McAnea said: “Unison believes that this is the best way of preserving national conditions which bring stability and fairness to staff and which benefits patients. The key now is to ensure that the changes are implemented in a fair and transparent way across local hospital trusts.”
 
Unite said it will continue to fight the changes to the Agenda for Change agreement, warning they would hit already low staff morale and patient care.
 
National officer Rachael Maskell said the changes were divisive and could lead to rogue employers driving down pay and conditions.
 
“It is a very dark day for the NHS, when it chooses to put more pressure on local employers and introduces cumbersome pay schemes when most trusts are struggling to make ends meet. Unite will fight local employers over these changes.”
 
Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter said: “The changes announced today are good news for staff and employers, good news for patients and good news for the NHS. This is an important step towards ensuring that national staff frameworks in Agenda for Change are kept fit for purpose.”
 
Jon Skewes, of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), said: “The RCM believes that this agreement reached today will help to secure UK wide bargaining in the NHS. It will also fend off the threat of local pay and conditions.”
 
 
Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter said: “The changes announced today are good news for staff and employers, good news for patients and good news for the NHS. This is an important step towards ensuring that national staff frameworks in Agenda for Change are kept fit for purpose.”
 
Jon Skewes, of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), said: “The RCM believes that this agreement reached today will help to secure UK wide bargaining in the NHS. It will also fend off the threat of local pay and conditions.”