NHS staff have to work harder to ‘justify’ more pay, Steve Barclay tells furious unions

Talks between health secretary Steve Barclay and trade unions on NHS workers’ pay have been described as an “insult”, in a blow to hopes of any progress towards a deal to avoid looming strikes.

Unite claimed Mr Barclay used Monday’s talks to say that a pay increase for nurses and ambulance workers could only be made in exchange for a boost in “productivity” – branding it “absolutely ludicrous”.

Asked whether there had been mention of a one-off payment in a bid to end the pay dispute, Unite negotiator Onay Kasab said: “No – all the government are interested in is saying that in order to justify a payment we need to … come up with productivity in the NHS.”

Saying talks had left him “angry”, Mr Kasab told broadcasters it was “absolutely clear” that ministers “want our members to give more in order for it to consider a payment – that is absolutely outrageous”.

“This isn’t a factory we’re talking about – we’re talking about people who are working well beyond their contracted hours anyway,” said the Unite official. “When you have staff working 18-hour shifts … I think that’s insulting.”

Earlier, Rishi Sunak did not deny reports that the government was considering a one-off payment to help NHS staff in the current finanical year, but said any future pay rise would have to be “affordable” and not further increase inflation.

Despite the government’s insistence that Monday’s meeting would be focused on the upcoming 2023-24 pay review, rather than the 2022-23 dispute, some union leaders had expressed cautious optimism after Mr Sunak said he was “open” to discussing health workers’ pay.

But the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) described the 45-minute meeting with Mr Barclay as “bitterly disappointing” and said strikes planned for 18 and 19 January would go ahead.

Joanne Galbraith-Marten, director of employment relations at the RCN, said there was “nothing” offered on pay for the current year. She said the minister had repeated that “the budget is already set” for next year.

“This intransigence is letting patients down. Ministers have a distance to travel to avert next week’s nurse strike,” said the nursing union official.

The GMB union said 11 and 23 January ambulance strikes would go ahead as planned after the talks “fell well short”. Rachel Harrison of GMB said: “There was some engagement on pay – but not a concrete offer that could help resolve this dispute.”

Sara Gorton, head of health at Unison, said some “progress” had been made in talks with the government but no “tangible” concessions had been made.

“It was definitely progress when you’re in a room with the secretary of state talking about pay, I think. He’s asked for our help to help with the Treasury to make the case for investment. We’ll certainly do that,” she said.

Nurses are already set to strike on 18 and 19 January, while ambulance staff will walk out on 11 and 23 January. Thousands of junior doctors in England began voting on Monday on whether to strike

Physiotherapists said they would be announcing strike dates later this week despite talks with Mr Barclay. “Although the meeting was more constructive this time, there is nothing tangible on the table,” said Elaine Sparkes of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

Meanwhile, teaching unions were holding talks with education secretary Gillian Keegan ahead of announcements expected later this week over whether their members will go on strike.

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), has said “no concrete progress” was made in talks with Ms Keegan – but added that there would be more talks.

“There is no offer, there is no change. There are further discussions to happen that we will engage in while still urging our members to vote in the ballot.”

Speaking alongside Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT union, Mr Courtney added: “There is nothing so far that would dissuade us from taking industrial action because we think these meetings are only happening because of the threat of industrial action.”

Meanwhile rail minister Huw Merriman called in train workers after sustained action crippled services, with only one in five trains running between Tuesday and Saturday.

The RMT’s Mick Lynch dodged questions about whether any progress has been made following a meeting with rail ministers. “We’re just going to have further talks with them,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, talks are to be held between the government and the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) civil service union in a bid to resolve a bitter dispute over jobs, pay and pensions.

PCS members working for Border Force, the Rural Payments Agency, the Department for Work and Pensions, National Highways and those working as driving examiners have been taking staggered action since December 13.

The union’s general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “We will, of course, accept the invitation to the meeting, during which we shall tell him if he wants a resolution to the dispute, he must put some money on the table.”