Trade
union Unison has decided to recommend that its NHS members accept the new pay
and gradings package put
forward as part of the Government’s ‘Agenda for Change’ programme.
The
union’s health service group executive will now put the recommendation to a
special conference of health delegates on 7 October, followed by a ballot of
more than 450,000 of its members.
Unison
general secretary Dave Prentis
said: "This is a historic decision – it’s been five years in the making
and the service group executive today has given the membership a clear steer.
"A
special health conference and a ballot of the entire health membership will
decide. But the job has been made easier by a recent change to the plans which
de-coupled unsocial hours from the package. We wanted to make sure that those
on the lowest pay would not lose out the most.
"The
agreed new minimum wage of £11,135 a year is also a great step forward."
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Agenda
for Change will affect one million staff working in the NHS across every
occupation and is designed to tackle the inequalities and demarcations in the
health service. It is also designed to modernise an outdated and antiquated pay
system.
