‘Hypocrisy’ claim as Royal College of Nursing offers staff 4.5% pay rise

A whistleblower at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has accused the striking union of ‘hypocrisy’ after it offered its own employees a pay rise of just 4.5 per cent.

The RCN, whose members will go on strike this Thursday, is asking the Government for a pay rise of 19.2 per cent, which would cost £10billion of public money.

But it is offering its own staff a rise of just 4.5 per cent, plus a £1,200 one-off payment.

A senior member of staff at the RCN, who does not want to be named, told the Daily Mail it was now ‘very likely’ a majority of staff, who are members of the GMB, could vote to go on strike themselves. This could prevent further RCN strikes from going ahead. 

 

Staff at the union play a vital role, deciding which services are exempt from action, paying strikers money on the days they do not work, managing picket lines and overseeing emergency situations.

The whistleblower said the union’s staff are in the same position as the nurses, claiming management said it ‘couldn’t afford’ to pay more.

A RCN spokesman said: ‘We are an award-winning employer with salaries amongst the highest in the sector. We work with our internal union to negotiate pay.’

There is growing concern over the imminent nursing strike, which could see operations cancelled and the Army drafted in, although life-threatening treatment will still be given as normal.

The RCN says action is justified because experienced nurses are worse off by 20 per cent in real terms due to successive below-inflation awards since 2010, despite a pay rise of about £1,400 awarded in the summer.

This map shows the hospitals where the Royal College of Nursing will hold its first strikes over pay on Thursday 15 and Tuesday 20 December