NHS Lanarkshire workers could be latest to strike after pay offer rejected

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Thousands of NHS workers in Lanarkshire could be among the latest in the public sector to strike after a pay offer was rejected.Both Unite and GMB Scotland's NHS membership has rejected the Scottish Government’s five per cent pay offer to staff across the country and voted to take strike action in a consultative ballot.This could have a serious impact on services in Lanarkshire.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Unite saw 89 per cent of members who work in every pay band across the entire NHS vote to reject the current pay offer.While 77 per cent also indicated that they would be prepared to take industrial action up to and including strike for a better wage deal from the Scottish Government.Unite has repeatedly stated that the current five per cent pay offer was unacceptable to its NHS membership as it represents a significant real-terms pay cut when the broader cost of living has hit a forty-year high of 11.8 per cent.Meanwhile, GMB members rejected the pay offer by an overwhelming 97 per cent.GMB is now urging the Scottish Government to improve the pay offer, particularly for the lowest paid, as joint trade unions in NHS Scotland meet to discuss the outcomes of their consultations and to prepare plans for statutory industrial action ballots.GMB Scotland Organiser, Karen Leonard, said: “GMB