RCM members accept Government NHS pay offer

By RCM Media Office on 08 June 2018 Pregnancy

Midwives and maternity support worker members of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) have accepted the negotiated proposals for NHS Agenda for Change staff pay. A large majority (85.7%) of respondents voted to accept the negotiated set of proposals for staff in the NHS in England.

The announcement follows a consultation with members by the RCM which closed at midnight last night. Over 50 well attended RCM pay meetings were also held across England during the consultation period. The view from members at these meetings was in line with the consultation result.

This negotiated agreement is for England only but Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will get the funding to negotiate at least as good a deal. The RCM also consulted its members on this in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. All indicated by over 75% that members were content for negotiations to take place in their respective countries based on the negotiated pay proposals for England.

Commenting on the result, Gill Walton, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the RCM, said: “I am pleased that our members have accepted this offer. It means that midwives, maternity support workers and other NHS staff can start to recoup the losses of the last eight years. That’s a real increase as inflation falls to 2.4%.It also means an increase to starting salaries for new midwives, who let us not forget will for the first time be burdened with significant student debt.

“It is also important that apart from this significant pay increase we successfully fended off employer attempts to reduce unsocial hours payments and annual leave. This is the best deal in the public sector and the only one which is additionally funded, meaning it will not come out of existing NHS money.

“This is not the end point but the beginning of the RCM and other health unions continuing to negotiate for the fair pay our NHS staff deserve.”

 

To contact the RCM Media Office call 020 7312 3456, or email media@rcm.org.uk. 

 

Note to editors

 

The RCM is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team. We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance and information, and learning opportunities with our broad range of events, conferences and online resources. For more information visit the RCM website at https://www.rcm.org.uk/.

 

ENDS