UNISON EMAS Branch News Bulletin
National Minimum Wage and NHS Pay Update (England)
The Department of Health has imposed a £0.28 per hour increase on NHS staff in Band 2 and the entry point of Band 3 as an “advance” on the 2025/26 pay award. This raises the lowest pay to just £12.36 an hour—only 15p above the National Minimum Wage. The entry point of Band 3 also receives a £0.28 increase, taking it to £12.59 an hour to maintain the pay differential with Band 2.
While this increase might appear positive at first glance, it does not address the deep pay issues NHS staff face. It fails to meet the Real Living Wage and is easily outpaced by supermarket and retail wages. Most importantly, it does nothing to fix the structural pay problems that keep too many NHS workers stuck in low pay bands, with little reward for promotion.
If the government’s current position holds, these staff will not receive the full value of any pay award made later this year. Remember, this £0.28 per hour increase would come off of any future pay awards! The failure to honour their promise and resolve these pay issues is a direct cause of frustration and disillusionment among NHS workers. This is not an offer or a deal—it’s an imposed interim pay increase, with no input from trade unions and no endorsement by NHS Staff Council.
This is not enough. NHS workers deserve better.
UNISON’s Response
This decision was entirely avoidable. The government promised to resolve NHS pay issues, yet they’ve failed to deliver. They’ve imposed this pay increase without consultation, and it does not address the real problems.
NHS workers are committed to supporting efforts to reduce waiting times and tackle the healthcare backlog, but they deserve fair pay NOW. The government has broken its promise and left NHS staff feeling undervalued and underpaid. This imposition will not solve the problem.
Time to Act
We will not stand by while NHS workers are treated unfairly. It’s time to escalate our campaign. We need you to take action NOW:
- Email your MP: Demand they stand with us in calling for fair pay and meaningful negotiations. https://unsn.uk/timefortalks
- Update your details: Make sure we can keep you informed—log in to My Unison or contact Unison Direct. https://unison.org.uk/my-unison/
The government must sit down with us and fix the pay system once and for all. We demand negotiations to resolve the structural pay issues that leave too many NHS workers underpaid. We need MPs across England to join us in calling for the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to immediately open talks.
This fight is far from over. Let’s show up, speak up, and make our voices heard. Together, we are UNISON. We will not back down.
#TimeForTalks #FairPayNow #UNISON #UNISONEMAS #ActTogether #NHS #FairPayForNHS
Posted: 4th February 2025