'We have started something special - the voice of nursing has never been stronger and we’re going to keep using it'
The nurses’ union will fight on for fair pay, despite not reaching the necessary turnout threshold needed to continue strike action, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has announced.
The nurses strike ballot did not manage to reached the 50% threshold needed for further strike action, putting an end to the nurses strikes for now.
This is despite over 100,000 RCN members voted in favour of strike action, making up 84% of those who voted. However, the ballot turnout was 43.4% which did not reach the required threshold needed under the 2016 Trade Union Act.
Only 122,000 of the 140,000 ballot papers needed were received by the closing date of Friday 23 June.
Pat Cullen, general secretary of RCN, said the results will be ‘disappointing for many’ but that the fight for fair pay was far from over.
“To every one of you who took part, whether by voting or encouraging others to, thank you. We have so much to be proud of,” wrote Cullen.
“While the vast majority of members who returned their ballot papers voted in favour of strike action, we did not meet the 50% turnout threshold necessary for us to be able to take further strike action.
“While this will be disappointing for many of you, the fight for the fair pay and safe staffing that our profession, our patients, and our NHS deserves, is far from over.
“This week, the government will say it has a plan for the NHS workforce. I am seeing the Prime Minister this afternoon to hear him out and to ask him the questions you wanted answering on his commitment to nurses and support workers.
“I know staff morale is low and the staffing crisis is set to worsen without immediate action. I will be telling him this today.
“We have started something special – the voice of nursing has never been stronger and we’re going to keep using it.”
RCN members previously voted by 54% to reject the latest government NHS pay offer of a 5% pay increase.
Hannah Davenport is trade union reporter at Left Foot Forward
(Photo credit: Channel 4 News / YouTube)
Left Foot Forward’s trade union reporting is supported by the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust
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