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Ambulance and health workers from GMB union accept NHS pay offer

By David Laycock • Published: 28 Apr 2023 • 19:08

UK ambulance handover delays reach new high

UK ambulance handover delays reach new high Credit: Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Ambulance and health workers from the GMB union in England have voted to accept the NHS pay offer. Unite, however, have rejected it.

The breakthrough came today, April 28, as 56 per cent of the 51 per cent of GMB union members that turned out to vote said yes to the deal. This sees thousands of NHS workers across England ready to accept the proposed pay deal.

Due to today’s vote, the deal is likely to go ahead despite Unite rejecting the deal and other smaller unions yet to declare their results.

The GMB has joined unions representing midwives and physiotherapists in agreeing to the deal but some Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Unite strikes will still be taking place over the next few days.

You can watch the GMB announcement courtesy of Sky News on Twitter:

GMB union national secretary, Rachel Harrison, says they will now vote to accept the offer at a meeting of the NHS Staff Council on Tuesday, May 2.  This would almost ensure that the deal would be ratified.

The deal, which will see a 5 per cent pay increase and a one-off lump-sum payment, meets a key demand of the GMB union, in that it would lift some of their lowest-paid health workers above the Real Living Wage.

Unison, the largest of the NHS unions representing ambulance staff has also voted yes to the deal, along with the Royal College of Midwives. This may be enough to get the deal over the line.

Although the final result will not be confirmed until the NHS unions meet with ministers on Tuesday, May 2, it would seem that with enough of the bigger unions on the side of the yes vote, the deal should go forward.

This would see NHS staff receive a one-off four-figure payment as well as the 5 per cent rise.

This deal doesn’t affect junior doctors, who are on a different contract but should placate NHS workers at least for a short while, as the country navigates its way through the cost-of-living crisis.

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Written by

David Laycock

Dave Laycock has always written. Poems, songs, essays, academic papers as well as newspaper articles; the written word has always held a great fascination for him and he is never happier than when being creative. From a musical background, Dave has travelled the world performing and also examining for a British music exam board. He also writes, produces and performs and records music. All this aside, he is currently fully focussed on his journalism and can’t wait to share more stories from around the world and beyond.

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