NHS strikes: Nurses reject Welsh government one-off payment

A nurses' union has rejected a Welsh government proposal to head-off strike action with a one-off payment to workers.

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said it is not "prepared to discuss any further" the proposal made this month.

Last week the RCN announced a new round of strikes, due to take place on 6 and 7 February.

The Welsh government said it would continue to try to "deliver the best possible outcomes for staff".

The RCN said while it was still open to negotiations, it would not discuss the one-off payment unless the parameters of the payment change.

Several health unions are in dispute with the Welsh government, wanting pay rises that better reflect rising prices.

The offer of a one-off payment was revealed by the First Minister Mark Drakeford earlier in January.

Further strikes have been announced since, with unions concerns the payment would not be built into future pay rises.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan has said the "clock is ticking" on the payment which would need to go out by the end of February.

One union source said the comment was unhelpful and misleading because no firm offer is available to put to workers.

No firm details of what has been proposed have been released publicly, although the BBC was previously told the Welsh government had considered a payment of around £1,000 to each NHS worker.

Welsh Labour ministers have insisted they cannot afford pay-outs that match inflation without better funding from the UK government.

The RCN had initially called for inflation plus 5%, although has since said it is willing to meet the Welsh government halfway.

In a statement RCN Wales director Helen Whyley indicated the union was still prepared to talk to the Welsh government - saying she had written to the first minister last week to urging the Welsh government to "change its approach entirely".

She said: "I have been clear that only genuine negotiations with us can avert further strikes.

"We are not prepared to discuss any further the one-off non-consolidated payment proposed by the Welsh government in our last meeting unless the parameters of that payment change.

"Our elected members have judged this as a political quick fix rather than a move towards a solution of the crisis in the nursing workforce recognising the value of nursing in a substantive and restorative pay award."

It is understood that Welsh government officials have invited unions to a meeting to discuss the proposal on Tuesday morning.

The GMB is among the unions representing members in the Welsh Ambulance Services Trust that have taken strike action.

A source told BBC Wales that the GMB wants to see the one-off payment not conditional on ending strike action, and is considering whether to take a similar view to the RCN.

Members of the Unite union held a strike in the ambulance service on Monday.

BBC Wales was told by a separate source that Unite is expected to continue talking to Welsh government about the payment proposal, but the source felt the union's members would not feel it was sufficient.

The source added they had not seen a firm offer that could be put to members for consultation.

A Welsh government spokeswoman said: "We recognise and respect the strength of feeling among NHS staff.

"We will continue to work to bring together trade unions, employers and government to deliver the best possible outcomes for staff, while continuing to call on the UK government to use the funding it has to provide a fair pay offer to NHS staff and enable us to do the same in Wales."