RCN opens credibility gap with discrimination claim

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) suggestion that pay in the NHS is sexist – when there is a clear and transparent system to measure and reward job content for all employees – is baffling (Personnel Today, 28 November).

And to make the suggestion that a police officer’s pay should be similar to a nurse’s pay, just because they are both in the public sector, doesn’t seem like a good comparator to me. It’s like comparing apples with oranges.

I appreciate that the vast majority of nurses do great work. Their dedication and skill should be valued by us all, and through modernisation of pay in the NHS this is happening.

The RCN has been very professional in its partnership work throughout the introduction of Agenda for Change. But it appears to be letting its credibility slip by almost implying that all public sector salaries should be somehow comparable with each other.

Claiming sexism is to “blame” for this “disparity” is really quite dull.

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A concerned HR manager
An NHS Trust