Group nursing workers working at a social enterprise organisation in Lincolnshire have voted in favour of taking strike motion over the “burning situation” of pay, phrases and circumstances.
The Royal School of Nursing (RCN) held an industrial motion poll with its members at Care Plus Group over July and 93% of those that responded stated they have been keen to go on strike.
“They’ve taken as a right their dedicated and hard-working nursing workers delivering NHS providers to individuals throughout North East Lincolnshire” Sarah Dodsworth
The school stated its members on the organisation have been demanding “higher pay and parity with nursing workers employed by the NHS on Agenda for Change phrases and circumstances of employment”.
Using greater than 800 workers, Care Plus Group offers group well being and social care providers for individuals throughout North East Lincolnshire together with some commissioned by the NHS.
Amongst its providers are group nursing, palliative and end-of-life care, specialist nursing comparable to diabetes, stroke and continence providers, and older individuals’s care.
Sarah Dodsworth, the RCN’s regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, stated Care Plus Group had imposed below-inflation pay awards “for a lot too lengthy”, and had refused to barter with the RCN on the 2021 and 2022 pay offers.
“They’ve taken as a right their dedicated and hard-working nursing workers delivering NHS providers to individuals throughout North East Lincolnshire,” she warned.
“Regardless of this, [nursing staff at Care Plus Group] don’t obtain pay, phrases and circumstances that match Agenda for Change within the NHS and the employer continues to disregard the burning situation of pay parity.”
She added: “Our members deserve an pressing and truthful conclusion to this pay dispute, which correctly recognises their expertise, expertise and dedication to offering the protected and efficient care that sufferers deserve.”
The RCN stated its Yorkshire and the Humber board and committees would now urgently focus on subsequent steps in response to the poll end result.
Lisa Revell, chief nurse and deputy chief government at Care Plus Group, stated the organisation recognised pressures going through workers however added that it wanted to think about its monetary sustainability.
“[Care Plus Group] recognise the influence on workers with rising inflation and the cost-of-living will increase and we proceed to attempt to supply comparable salaries,” she stated.
“We’re an impartial social enterprise, not a part of the NHS, and any pay will increase must be made contemplating our monetary sustainability.
“We proceed to work carefully with Social Enterprise UK who’re advocating nationally and with authorities for parity for social enterprises in relation to pay.
“The [Care Plus Group] board are repeatedly reviewing the monetary place and alternatives about future pay at the side of our monetary sustainability.
“We worth all workers and recognize the roles they ship in supporting our group, typically in troublesome circumstances.”
She added that Care Plus Group had been in common communication with the RCN throughout the dispute and that it was working carefully with the union to make sure minimal disruption to affected person providers throughout any future industrial motion.
In the meantime, the RCN has additionally introduced an replace on the pay dispute affecting its members working on the Care High quality Fee (CQC).
The CQC has put ahead an improved supply for 2022-23, and RCN members are being requested to vote on whether or not they suppose it’s acceptable or unacceptable.
“Any pay will increase must be made contemplating our monetary sustainability” Lisa Revell
The supply is for a £1,500 non-consolidated fee to go on prime of the pay award imposed in December 2022 that supplied will increase of between 2.75% and three.75%, relying on grade.
The consultative on-line poll will run from 28 July to 12noon on 11 August 2023.
Since 17 April 2023, RCN members on the CQC have been engaged in industrial motion in need of strike, which has seen them working strictly to their phrases and circumstances, or ‘working to rule’.
The RCN has made clear that the consultative poll is in regards to the improved pay award and isn’t a vote on additional industrial motion.
Nevertheless, it stated if nearly all of voting members suppose the pay award is appropriate, then its dispute with the CQC concerning pay for 2022-23 will finish.
A CQC spokesperson stated: “We will likely be paying all eligible CQC workers a one-off non-consolidated fee of £1,500 in August.
“We proceed to work carefully with commerce unions and are conscious that the RCN are balloting members working for CQC on whether or not this fee is appropriate to them.”