Read this great analysis from Grumbling Appendix alongside this post for a full overview of what lies behind Jeremy Hunt's decision.
Jeremy Hunt, the Minister for Health, has spoken out against the 1% pay rise proposed by the NHS Pay Review Body for NHS staff, and has proposed that NHS staff should not receive any increase, and instead the money "saved" should be spent on "modernisation" of the existing pay structure.
Jeremy Hunt, the Minister for Health, has spoken out against the 1% pay rise proposed by the NHS Pay Review Body for NHS staff, and has proposed that NHS staff should not receive any increase, and instead the money "saved" should be spent on "modernisation" of the existing pay structure.
The
withdrawl of the pay rise is getting the most coverage, but the main
issue is actually the "modernisation" which the government
wants to implement.
We
do not receive automatic pay rises
At
present NHS employees, like many in the public sector, receive what
are called increments. This is an incremental pay increase for every
year of service, roughly 3.5% per year which moves you from the
bottom of your pay band to the top, over a period of about 10 years.
After 10 years service, you've reached the top of your pay band, and
further pay increases only come with promotion to a higher band or
when the government grants them to the whole NHS. Which they haven't
for two years, and don't want to do now.
