A kick in the teeth or what

[Alikado]

A Government that wastes MILLIONS on PPE that is not fit for purpose and hands contracts out to companies owned by somebody who knows somebody thinks that 'rewarding' hard working staff who have gone 'above & beyond' and risked their lives and those of their families is giving them a 1% pay rise which probably won't even cover the annual rise in bills in April.
They must be in Cloud Cuckoo Land if they think they can get away with it. If they had come up with 5% there would still have been complaints but most would feel it acceptable but I think this will rumble on and on.

[silver fox]

A Government that wastes MILLIONS on PPE that is not fit for purpose and hands contracts out to companies owned by somebody who knows somebody thinks that 'rewarding' hard working staff who have gone 'above & beyond' and risked their lives and those of their families is giving them a 1% pay rise which probably won't even cover the annual rise in bills in April.
They must be in Cloud Cuckoo Land if they think they can get away with it. If they had come up with 5% there would still have been complaints but most would feel it acceptable but I think this will rumble on and on.

Looking at the £billions spent and misspent, 1% to NHS staff is an insult, then of course the myopic government will wonder why recruitment will fall, as soon as the economy begins to open up, many staff will leave.

[donkey22]

Curious how the magic money tree is only ever a problem for undervalued public sector workers. Throwing away £10bn in stamp duty? A price worth paying for keeping those property prices juiced. But even £0.4bn is a stretch for our doctors and nurses, they should count themselves grateful. To add further context to that figure, eat out to help out cost around £900 Million.
That's without factoring in the additional costs of treating the covid patients that caught it as a result of the scheme.

[gsgsgs]

After the year we have had and the incredible work by the NHS what % would be fair and just?

1% is an insult but what figure, 2%, 5%, 10% perhaps a fairer option would be some sort of bonus scheme introduced that could be calculated on who has done what.

Don't forget the 1% (or what ever %) is across the board, I know of NHS staff being furloughed, I know of a nurse who by their own words "have never been quieter or had easier shifts" due to the particular speciality they work in.

Absolutely the frontline staff deserve recognition for the amazing job they've done.

[Toodles McGinty]

Maybe Tesco will accept 'claps'.

[Desert Region]

A Government that wastes MILLIONS on PPE that is not fit for purpose and hands contracts out to companies owned by somebody who knows somebody thinks that 'rewarding' hard working staff who have gone 'above & beyond' and risked their lives and those of their families is giving them a 1% pay rise which probably won't even cover the annual rise in bills in April.
They must be in Cloud Cuckoo Land if they think they can get away with it. If they had come up with 5% there would still have been complaints but most would feel it acceptable but I think this will rumble on and on.

Agreed. As SF says, it's insulting. The Government should hang their heads in shame.

[Toodles McGinty]

Johnson is going to swoop in at the end of April and say he demands nurses get a bigger pay rise. Before the Pay Review Body makes their announcement. He's so full of $h!t. So predictable. It'll be 'the Tories are backing the NHS'.

It's the usual 'let's leak something and see how the public react' pattern we've come to expect from this government.

If not, they should strike. Simple as that.

[justbecause]

We as a Country cannot afford to give NHS workers more than a 1% pay rise, and yet, only last week the Government changed a law to allow a Government Minister to be able to benefit from Maternity Leave. Government’s (Tory and Labour) really don’t care one iota for the British public, as long as they get to look after their own interests, everyone else can go and ****** themselves.

[Toodles McGinty]

We as a Country cannot afford to give NHS workers more than a 1% pay rise, and yet, only last week the Government changed a law to allow a Government Minister to be able to benefit from Maternity Leave.

And pay out for Bully Patel's out of court settlements.

On Question Time last night, Theo Paphitis and Miatta Fahnbulleh made some very good points about the state of financial affairs and what the government can afford. As they said, it was a political budget, not economic decisions. The government has borrowed mainly from the Bank of England, which as it is owned by the government, can set interest rates to virtually zero for decades should it choose to. So there is no real need right now to return to austerity.

The way out of this decline (setting apart the damage coming from Brexit) is for the public to spend. Giving what amounts to a pay cut to the staff of the NHS makes no economic sense.

Johnson wants to be adored. He'll cough up eventually.

[donkey22]

I hope they do go on strike. I’m pretty sure a lot of the public would support such action. One of their unions has already set up a £35million fund to cover strike action.

[gazaprop]

I was never a fan of the clapping nonsense anyway, I found it a vacuous gesture at best.
Until someone recently said 'oh - hang on - what about the bin men, bus drivers, lorry drivers, supermarket workers - the list is endless - no one gave these equally vital workers a second thought!
We can't all be saving lives but each contribution is, nevertheless, equally vital.

Many of those mentioned above will not even be considered for an increase - particularly the private sector. Many will have kissed their careers goodbye.
To demand a 12% increase and in the next breath threatening strike action is obscene.
Does the life saving end if the money isn't forthcoming - that's akin to demanding a ransom.

Be in no doubt these nurses earn a damn good wedge and they work hard for it but -

so do the bin men, supermarket workers et al!

[donkey22]

We as a Country cannot afford to give NHS workers more than a 1% pay rise, and yet, only last week the Government changed a law to allow a Government Minister to be able to benefit from Maternity Leave. Government’s (Tory and Labour) really don’t care one iota for the British public, as long as they get to look after their own interests, everyone else can go and ****** themselves.

Surely some of the £350m a week that was promised for the NHS after Brexit could be used for a pay increase? Oops, silly me, another tory lie.

[local]

Some nurses should have a bonus but not all.

There are 10,000 more nurses in a year and a big increase in applications.

Some nurses I have seen, have had a very quiet year only a few are at the sharp end.

And just because nurses shout loudest there are many others doing a great job as well.

[said]

A Government that wastes MILLIONS on PPE that is not fit for purpose and hands contracts out to companies owned by somebody who knows somebody thinks that 'rewarding' hard working staff who have gone 'above & beyond' and risked their lives and those of their families is giving them a 1% pay rise which probably won't even cover the annual rise in bills in April.
They must be in Cloud Cuckoo Land if they think they can get away with it. If they had come up with 5% there would still have been complaints but most would feel it acceptable but I think this will rumble on and on.

You tend to forget that medical staff are those people who CHOSE to work in the field they do are already on far higher pay than many in the private sector who have to work to pay for those pay rises. That pay rise is part of a three year agreement over which they have received a pay rise every year for the previous two years. Medical staff also get far more perks than any in the private sector, including a bonus paid on retirement pay and they are in protected employment where it is almost impossible to get sacked - unlike the thousands of private sector workers who have lost their jobs.

Yes, they are doing a very important job - but in all honesty, by comparison - they are being well rewarded for it.

[Alikado]

You tend to forget that medical staff are those people who CHOSE to work in the field they do are already on far higher pay than many in the private sector who have to work to pay for those pay rises. That pay rise is part of a three year agreement over which they have received a pay rise every year for the previous two years. Medical staff also get far more perks than any in the private sector, including a bonus paid on retirement pay and they are in protected employment where it is almost impossible to get sacked - unlike the thousands of private sector workers who have lost their jobs.

Yes, they are doing a very important job - but in all honesty, by comparison - they are being well rewarded for it.

Yes they have chosen to work in that field but not a single one did it knowing that they were putting not only their health but possibly their life on the line, they are not armed forces. I ask you to provide proof and links to show that they are on far higher pay and receive far more perks than the private sector, in fact it would be interesting to see proof of any perks they receive, most are being robbed by Trusts just to park to turn up and do their job. While you at it please provide evidence that it is almost impossible to get sacked, medical staff are among the most closely monitored staff being policed not only by their employer but by their professional body as well.