Get Up, Stand Up

I work in the NHS. I am also a member of Unison.

Now it is the time of year when the annual pay award is being negotiated. The offer we got this year was 2.75%. Unison balloted us to see if we wanted to accept it.

I duly looked to see what the inflation rate was. 3% the Bank of England told me. (oh dear they are way off their 2% target!!). 3% may be the official rate but when you consider the increase in mortgage payments, the 10% increase in petrol prices, food prices have gone up 15% and gas and electricity prices have gone up about 20%, you have to think their 3% is a little light.

Therefore, I had no hesitation in putting my cross in the DO NOT ACCEPT box of the ballot. Who in their right mind would vote for effectively a pay decrease? It would be like turkey’s voting for Christmas.

Other Unions had already voted on the NHS pay proposal. The GMB Union rejected the pay award by a massive 96%.

So I was extremely optimistic that my colleagues in Unison would vote against this ludicrous offer.

However, unbelievably 65% of them voted in favour of the offer!! WTF?

Karen Jennings, Unison head of health, said they would not hesitate to renegotiate if inflation continues to rise. How far does it have to rise? Forgive me for being naive, but I would have thought if inflation rose above the amount of the pay award, it is time to renegotiate?

Forgive me, if anyone actually reads this, but I am getting extremely pissed off at people in government making a mockery of hard working people. I am also getting pissed off at people allowing it to happen.

When are we going to wake up and realise what is happening?