Following a consultative ballot with Scottish members, The BDA Trade Union, who represent thousands of dietitians working in the NHS across the UK, has voted to reject the Scottish Government’s pay award for NHS staff, along with 13 other NHS Unions. Unions will now move to a formal ballot for industrial action, which has been approved by the Trade Union National Executive Committee.
Annette Mansell-Green, Director of Trade Union and Public Affairs at the BDA says, “The results of our ballot have spoken for themselves and demonstrate the strength of feeling amongst NHS workers in Scotland that the pay award simply isn’t good enough.
“With inflation in double figures and people facing a very real crisis in terms of living costs, the workforce has come together to share its disappointment. The proposed pay award actually equates to a pay cut of around 5%, at a time when our NHS staff should be being rewarded for their dedication of service, on the back of some of the most difficult years in our NHS’ history.
“Taking industrial action is not a decision we take lightly or easily and is always a last resort and therefore we’ll be consulting with our members, alongside the other 13 NHS Unions in Scotland to decide our next steps.”
Simon Fevre, Registered Dietitian and Chair of the BDA’s Scottish Employment Relations Committee says, “I’m not surprised that dietitians working in the NHS in Scotland have rejected the pay offer from the Scottish Government. Our move to have a formal ballot for Industrial Action is a direct result of years of rising costs and the pay offer is way off the mark.
We deserve better, we deserve a fair wage, which keeps up with current costs.”
The pay award was unanimously rejected by all NHS Trade Unions covered by Agenda for Change this week and collectively, through the staff side of the Scottish Terms and Conditions Group, have written to the Scottish Government to inform them of this. Members of the BDA will go to ballot shortly.