Midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) working in the NHS in England have had their say on the recent 5.5% pay award announced by the new Government.

Following a two-week consultation the RCM says 60 percent of its members have said the 2024/25 award is acceptable as a step towards addressing the long term pay cuts they’ve suffered, while 40 percent have voted to say they feel this pay award is unacceptable.

The consultation the RCM says was crucial in gauging the feelings of its members and has thanked all those who took the time to respond.

Commenting, RCM’s General Secretary, Gill Walton said:

“We are pleased that this headline pay award is above inflation and begins to address the pay cuts our members have faced over the past number of years. It’s a step in the right direction. It is also a consolidated, across the board increase which the RCM had called for. It was really important for the RCM to understand how our members felt about this pay award so thanks to each and every member who responded to this consultation.”

As the Westminster Government confirmed that it had accepted the Pay Review Body (PRB) recommendations in full, the RCM says this means that the pay award will be implemented. The 5.5% will be backdated to April 2024 and the RCM says it understands members should see this in their October salaries.

While it’s been gathering its members views on the pay award the RCM says it’s also been working hard behind the scenes to secure progress on the non-pay elements for 2024/25. This has resulted in a letter from Wes Streeting the new Secretary for Health and Social Care positively acknowledging the non-pay priorities which the RCM outlined in its evidence to the PRB.

Gill added:

“We are also making progress on the non-pay pay elements for Agenda for Change Staff and have been working closely with other NHS trade unions to raise the issues we know are members are facing at work. We believe there is an opportunity with the new Government to achieve the best terms and conditions, and work life balance that we can for members so we will continue to lobby on behalf of every one of our hardworking members.”