Nicola Sturgeon offers Scottish NHS workers a four per cent pay hike

Nicola Sturgeon trolled Boris Johnson last night by unveiling a 4 per cent pay rise for NHS staff in Scotland in a blatant giveaway as the Scottish election campaign launches.

The SNP leader announced the dramatic move – which contrasts with the 1 per cent being mooted in England – as Holyrood broke up ahead of the crucial polls in May.  

More than 154,000 NHS Scotland staff are to be offered a hike of at least 4 per cent.

The move will benefit employees with contracts under the Agenda for Change system, meaning staff on the lowest pay point could get a 5.4 per cent increase.

Staff on pay bands 1 to 7 would receive at least a 4 per cent pay rise compared with 2020/21, with workers earning less than £25,000 in 2020/21 guaranteed a minimum increase of more than £1,000 in 2021/22.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, pictured, has announced a four per cent pay rise for NHS workers in Scotland apart from doctors

Ms Sturgeon, pictured, said those on the lowest pay scales would see their remuneration increase by 5.4 per cent

NHS workers in England have been offered one per cent by the Westminster government 

Holyrood entered its pre-election recess period last night, with the Tories launching their campaign today. 

And at 10pm Ms Sturgeon tweeted: ‘Our NHS staff deserve more than applause and 1 per cent is not enough.

‘@scotgov is offering a 4 per cent pay rise, which would deliver guaranteed minimum increase of £1,000 for those earning less than £25,000 & 5.4 per cent increase for staff on lowest pay band… and all backdated to December 2020.’

Among those included in Agenda for Change are nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals, as well as domestic, healthcare support staff, porters and other frontline health workers.

The Scottish Government says the deal, if accepted, will be the ‘most generous National Health Service pay uplift anywhere in the UK’.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman also tweeted that the move was ‘making the applause real’.

In a statement, she said: ‘Following positive discussions with NHS unions and employees, the Scottish Government has put forward an offer of the biggest single pay uplift since devolution for NHS Agenda for Change staff.

‘Over 154,000 staff would benefit from this rise, which would see the average pay of a frontline NHS nurse rise by over £1,200 a year.

‘This deal also includes support staff such as domestic staff, porters and healthcare support workers, the backbone of our services, who would see pay rises of over £1,000 – uplifts of between 4 per cent -5.4 per cent.

‘The uplift will be backdated from December 1 2020, rather than the usual April 1 2021, meaning all those covered by the deal will receive an extra benefit.

‘This has been an exceptionally challenging year for our health service and I am pleased that the Scottish Government is able to recognise the service and dedication of our healthcare staff.’

It comes after NHS workers in Scotland also received a one-off £500 payment from the Scottish Government as a thank you for their work during the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, pictured, has been criticised for the one per cent pay offer for NHS staff in England

Colin Poolman, Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee (STAC) chairman and Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland senior officer, described the timescale for negotiations as ‘tight as a result of the forthcoming election but we have now received an offer for a one-year pay deal’.

The STAC staffside for Agenda for Change includes representatives’ unions including the British Dietetic Association, College of Podiatry, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, GMB, Prison Officers Association, Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Midwives, Society of Radiographers, Unison and Unite the Union.

Willie Duffy, STAC staffside secretary and Unison regional organiser, added: ‘Each of the individual trade unions will now enter into discussions with their members on the offer.’