Read Time:4 Minute, 16 Second

TRENDING NOW: #MTNshortz3sixtyworld

More than a million NHS workers in England get new three-year pay deal worth 6.5%.

More than one million health workers are to receive a pay rise worth 6.5% for most staff over the next three years, after the deal was accepted by those ranging from nurses to cleaners.

Members of 13 unions representing hospital cleaners, nurses, security guards, physiotherapists, emergency call handlers, paramedics, midwives, radiographers and other NHS staff across England voted to accept the deal.

The GMB is the only union involved in the NHS which has rejected the offer.

More than one million NHS workers in England will receive a three-year pay deal worth 6.5 percent after votes in favour by 13 unions

Unison’s head of health Sara Gorton said: ‘The agreement won’t solve all the NHS’s problems overnight, but it will go a long way towards easing the financial strain suffered by health staff and their families over many years.

‘The lifting of the damaging 1 percent cap on pay will come as a huge relief for all the employers who’ve struggled for so long to attract new recruits and hold on to experienced staff.

‘But this three-year pay deal must not be a one-off.

‘Health workers will want to know that ministers are committed to decent wage rises across the NHS for the long term, and that this isn’t just a quick fix.

However, members of the GMB union ‘overwhelmingly’ voted to reject the pay deal on Wednesday.

Eighty seven percent of the members of the union working in NHS in England voted to reject the three-year pay deal offered by the Government.

Tim Roache, GMB’s general secretary announced the union’s no vote at their annual conference on Wednesday.

‘After a nearly a decade of pay pinching, the prospect of a further three years of cuts to wages is unacceptable. GMB members have sent a clear message to Jeremy Hunt – it’s a no from us’ he said.

‘Most importantly, the extra funding means the pay rise won’t be at the expense of services or patient care.

Members of 13 unions representing hospital cleaners, nurses, security guards, physiotherapists, emergency call handlers, paramedics, midwives, radiographers and other NHS staff across England voted to accept the deal

‘Now the Government has begun to put right the damage inflicted by its mean-spirited pay policies, staff will be hoping ministers announce an injection of cash for NHS services in time for its 70th birthday next month.’

GMB say that with inflation, estimated to be 9.6% over the next three years, staff will be taking a cut in terms of real pay.

The union will convene another meeting on June 15 to reconsider.

Kevin Brandstatter, GMB national officer, said: ‘For the longest serving and most loyal NHS workers, the 6.5 percent increase over three years actually means a real terms pay cut, doesn’t put things right and continues to punish those who have endured the pinch on pay.

‘It does nothing to address the recruitment and retention crisis and it leaves the door open to new employees in the NHS being employed on worse terms and conditions than existing health service workers.’

Midwives and maternity support worker members of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) accepted the negotiated proposals for NHS Agenda for Change staff pay.

The majority, 85.7 percent, 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.

More than 50 pay meetings were held across England during the consultation period.

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.

Unison's head of health Sara Gorton said: 'The agreement won't solve all the NHS's problems overnight, but it will go a long way towards easing the financial strain suffered by health staff and their families over many years' — Unison’s head of health Sara Gorton said: ‘The agreement won’t solve all the NHS’s problems overnight, but it will go a long way towards easing the financial strain suffered by health staff and their families over many years’

The RCM also consulted its members on this in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. All indicated by over 75 percent 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 percent.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.’