Health workers union hits out over delayed pay increase

ANGER is building among health workers who still haven’t got the pay rise they were promised in April.

The Department of Health said yesterday it has set aside £26million for the 1% increase staff were awarded across the UK in April.

But while workers in England, Scotland and Wales got their money, in Northern Ireland they are still waiting. A spokeswoman for Unison NI said: “We are in pay limbo because we do not have an Executive.

“First they said they haven’t got the money set aside so we said go and find it.

“And then they said even if we do have it we couldn’t pay it because we haven’t got a minister in place.

“It’s interesting that they found the money.

“It’s only a measly 1% but it’s due since April.”

The spokeswoman added it is “outrageous” staff here have been treated differently because of the “political impasse” at Stormont.

She said: “The workers have been due a pay rise since April and they have been going without while workers in the rest of the UK all got their money.

“We are just drifting and workers are getting more and more angry.

“We are caught by the political impasse and if they can’t get their act together the two governments will have to do something. We are just drifting and workers are getting more and more angry.”

The union, which represents 25,000 workers in NI, said it will also expect the 1% rise backdated. The spokeswoman added: “They have to pay us what they owe us.”

The Department for Health had not responded to our request for a comment at the time of going to print.

PROMISE Pay rise was due in April