The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is calling on all its members in Northern Ireland to have their say on the 5.5% pay award that was announced by Minister for Health Mike Nesbitt in late December.
The pay award, while well overdue, is on par with what RCM members in England and Wales received and will be backdated to June 2024.
The RCM says it’s pleased the award is above inflation which meets the asks set out in its evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body last year, but now it’s time for members to have their say.
Commenting, the RCM’s Director for Northern Ireland, Karen Murray says:
“It’s crucial that we gauge the views of all our members on this pay award. So, we are calling on all eligible members respond to this important consultation. It has taken months of lobbying and pressure from the RCM to get to this stage and we now want to hear the views of our members on this pay award.”
The consultation opens today Friday 10 January and runs for two weeks, closing at midnight on Friday 24 January. The RCM is encouraging its members not to delay in making their voices heard. It says members will receive a link to the survey directly via email today and it takes less than two minutes to take part.
This pay award will be backdated for all Agenda for Change (AFC) staff to June 2024. A memorandum of understanding has also confirmed that full parity will be maintained and that the remaining two months, 1 April to 31 May, will be paid at a later date.
Karen added:
“While we are pleased that we finally have a pay award for our hardworking members, particularly those who have been struggling with the cost-of-living crisis over the past year. The views of all our members across Northern Ireland matter to us and will inform our next steps, so please do respond to our quick survey and encourage all your Agenda for Change colleagues to do the same.”
For members who have not received a direct email to vote on the pay award the RCM says you can take part in the consultation here. The RCM is also asking members to ensure their contact details are up to date so they aren’t missing any correspondence, and this can be done on the RCM’s website or by calling RCM Connect on 0300 303 0444.
