Today RCM Scotland has called for ‘a significant and above inflation’ pay increase that reflects the true cost of living in Scotland in its pay claim for the 2025/26 pay round.
The joint unions’ pay claim was submitted by the Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee (STAC), of which the RCM is a member. It has also called for a pay increase that ‘makes up’ for the losses incurred in previous years for all RCM members employed under Agenda for Change (AfC).
The RCM says pay is a crucial lever in the recruitment and retention of midwives and maternity care assistants (MCAs). The College has called on the Scottish Government to do all it can to ensure maternity services are well staffed and able to deliver high quality care to women and their families in Scotland.
Commenting, Jaki Lambert, RCM’s Director for Scotland, said:
“We know members are struggling with the increasing cost of living and rising cost of energy bills, so the RCM together with other NHS unions have agreed that any pay offer for our members this year must not lose ground gained in previous years and be above inflation. We want to see a cost-of-living increase across all pay rates and allowances for our hardworking midwives and maternity care assistants in Scotland. There has been much talk at Government level about NHS reform, but that can’t happen without first levelling up for hard working staff. And delivering on the ministerial taskforce that will make the long lasting changes required.Staff are the backbone of the NHS: we want to see them paid fairly. RCM members deserve to be valued for the skilled work they do. Only then can we retain them and ensure our maternity services are future fit to deliver the safe high-quality care to women and their families across Scotland.”
As part of this year’s pay claim the RCM has also called for continued implementation of the priority areas agreed in the 2023/24 pay round. This includes a review of protected learning time and a reduction in hours of the working week. Additionally, there is a call to recommence negotiations on previously unresolved areas such as pay modernisation elements. This includes a review of AfC incremental stages relative incremental values and pay on promotion. All of these areas must be addressed without direct or indirect impact on the 2025/26 pay deal says the RCM.
Continue to struggle
Jaki added:
“Protected learning time is vital for midwives, maternity care assistants and all healthcare staff it is not a luxury but how we keep our services safe our midwifery community feeling valued and motivated and having the time to reflect and develop throughout their career. Far too often, due to pressures in services, training and learning is postponed, which can significantly impact midwives and those in training, so we want to see this addressed urgently. Midwives and all maternity staff in Scotland thoroughly deserve a decent pay rise and submitting our pay claim is the first step in the process of achieving that. Over the months ahead, the RCM will be front and centre of negotiations, raising the issues of most concern to our members.”
You can read the STAC pay claim in full here and to ensure you keep up to date on all the developments on pay and the RCM’s work to support you in practice see https://rcm.org.uk/scotland/
