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two unions representing tens of thousands of healthcare workers are warning of possible strike action after the government suggested a 1% pay rise for most NHS workers in England.
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It has been branded an insult and hypocrisy in its greatest form by healthcare workers.
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But the government insists 1% is all it can afford at a difficult time for public finances.
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Around a million other public sector staff, including teachers, the armed forces, firefighters and police officers, are about to have their pay frozen for a year from Westminster.
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Our deputy political Vicky Young, sent this report The covid pandemics taking its toll on NHS staff definitely undervalued is I think, what a lot of people are feeling now.
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The government suggesting a 1% pay rise really sad.
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It's just very disappointed.
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Alice and Ellen, just two of the many nurses dismayed at today's news and it's raising awkward questions for ministers.
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Health Secretary You stood at that podium in May last year and said that nursing deserved fair reward is a 1% rise fair elsewhere in the public sector.
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There's a pay freeze in place and we've proposed what we think is affordable to make sure that in the people do get a pay rise, I bow to nobody in my admiration for nurses.
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In fact, I learned that at the knee of my grandmother, who was a nurse, the independent pay review body will look at a range of NHS workers pay, including nurses.
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They're starting Salary is almost £25,000.
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The government says newly qualified nurses have had a 12% rise over the last three years.
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The Royal College of Nursing says a nurse with average experience will be earning over £30,000.
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I think just a deep sense of worry, really.
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But for Holly, it's the future that worries her.
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The NHS won't return to normal for a long time, with demoralized were exhausted.
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We're fed up and now I think people are actually quite angry and deeply, deeply worried for our patients.
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We know that waiting lists are incredibly high at the moment and there's a big concern of how we're going to manage things When one in three nursing staff want to quit NHS, Scotland has given staff an interim pay increase of 1% backdated to December ahead of full pay negotiations.
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Soon, as in Wales staff also received a £500 bonus.
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But in England, one nursing union has set up a strike fund in case they decide on industrial action.
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This was some of the reaction in Birmingham over the payroll.
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I think at this time we really need to be supporting the NHS and the nurses in particular, who have done absolutely amazing job.
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They've had a bad experience and they deserve a lot more than that.
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In terms of strike action, I can see why they want to do it.
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It's probably not the best time to do.
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I don't think they carry much favor with the public economics in this country, but as bad as they've ever been so overall it's better than I think.
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They deserve something which so it's an offer which I feel should be accepted without the threat of a union strike.
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Others have also worked through this pandemic, but most public sector workers will have their pay frozen.
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The labour leader says they all deserve a rise.
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The freeze on public sector pay is wrong.
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We challenged the government on it.
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I challenge them in the budget response on it and we'll continue to challenge them on it so you won't pay rises for everyone.
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You don't want any tax rises?
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Is that financially responsible?
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We have to have a plan for the future to rebuild the foundations of our country.
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You don't do that by freezing the pay of those on the frontline.
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Throughout this pandemic, public sector workers The response to this pandemic prompted an outpouring of gratitude from the public, and the decisions ministers make now over how staff are rewarded will be scrutinized extremely closely.
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Well for unions.
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Tonight, written to the chancellor asking him to reconsider this proposal, he says this must be considered in the wider context of the hit that there has been on the economy.
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Now.
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NHS pay is a motive at the best of times, let alone during a pandemic.
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But I think both sides will have to consider carefully their next steps.
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Unions looking at strike action and ministers who won't want to be on the wrong side of public opinion on this.
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But if they are, they're going to have to calculate just how much political pain it's going to cause them.
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Vicky Young.
