Talks to avert the nursing strike on Thursday have failed after the union leader behind the action accused Health Secretary Steve Barclay of refusing to discuss pay.
In a statement on Monday night, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary Pat Cullen said: “I needed to come out of this meeting with something serious to show nurses why they should not strike this week. Regrettably, they are not getting an extra penny.”
Earlier, No 10 had indicated Mr Barclay would not be willing to negotiate a new pay offer for nurses, but it was thought other aspects of the nurses’ employment could be up for discussion.
However, the RCN had made it clear that pay would have to be on the table if the government wanted to avert the strike action on Thursday.
Ms Cullen told Sky News she went into the meeting with “hopes” but the government “was true to its word – they would not talk to me about pay”.
She said Mr Barclay “showed total belligerence this afternoon, he closed his books and walked away”.
“I did most of the talking, there was very little talking from the other side of the table, except to keep repeating to me he has accepted the recommendation of the independent pay review body”, she said.
The RCN is demanding a pay rise of 5% above the RPI rate of inflation, which was 14.2% in October, but Ms Cullen has hinted that she could compromise if the government negotiates on pay.
Ministers have repeatedly insisted they can’t afford to give inflation-busting pay rises and say they have accepted the independent pay review body’s recommendation of a £1,400 raise.
Ms Cullen said nurses’ pay has dropped by 20% in the last decade, so what they are looking for is “pay restoration”.
“They are not asking for their pockets to be lined with gold, they never have and we never will,” she said.
“We have been left out in the cold by our secretary of state”.
It is understood Mr Barclay told Ms Cullen that pay increases for nurses would take money from frontline services.
A source from the Department of Health and Social Care said: “He again listened to the RCN’s position on pay and reiterated the government has agreed to the recommendations of the independent pay review body and prioritised the National Health Service with £6.6 billion of investment over the next two years.
“He said that any further pay increase would mean taking money away from frontline services and reducing the 7.1 million elective backlog.
“Mr Barclay said he would continue to engage with the RCN around non pay-related issues and challenges the union has with the pay review process.”
Mr Barclay was under increasing pressure to settle a deal after strikes by ambulance staff and some NHS workers in Scotland were called off today, after members of two unions voted to accept the Scottish Government’s recent pay deal.
Unite and Unison members called off action following negotiations with Health Secretary Humza Yousaf and the intervention of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The offer represents around a 7.5% increase, with up to 11.24% for the bottom pay bands.
The offer also includes a commitment to reduce the working week from 37.5 hours to 36 hours with no loss of pay.
However, nursing strikes will go ahead in Wales after last-minute talks to resolve the dispute over pay also collapsed on Monday.