NHS workers have descended on Downing Street in a protest to demand an immediate pay rise.
Health workers are in the final year of a three-year deal and are due a pay rise next April, but unions want the Government to show its appreciation for NHS staff by bringing it forward to this year.
The Government did not commit to an early pay rise for all NHS staff last week when wage increases for 900,000 public sector workers were announced.
The Unite the Union branch at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London partnered with Keep Our NHS Public and Nurses United to march in protest against the Government’s decision to delay a pay rise until April 2021.
The demonstration came as a survey by Unison suggested more than two-thirds (69%) of people think all NHS employees should be awarded a rise during 2020.
The union’s poll of more than 2,000 British adults found that two-thirds believe a wage increase should be significant, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Unison survey found that just one in 10 thinks health workers should wait until April for a rise.
Speaking ahead of the march, Unite national officer for health Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe said: “Nursing staff and other allied health professionals have reacted with anger to being overlooked when pay rises were given to many in the public sector last week and the Government not hearing the health trade unions’ call to bring their pay rise forward from April 2021.
“This sense of anger was heightened, especially in light of their work and sacrifices during the global pandemic which has taken the lives of more than 500 NHS and social care staff across the UK.”
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