nhs staff unite!

[lcg]

if you work for the nhs, you may well be aware that the government (as they like to describe themselves) have already stated that they wanted to impose a pay freeze on our already rubbish wages. first it was one year; then two...but you will never guess what else they want to take from us - please watch the attached link and send to as many work buddies in the biz.

in real terms, this will mean massive pay cuts as inflation and everything else goes up...in my department we are already two nurses short and they are not going to be replaced...i am doing on average about 4-5 hours unpiad overtime each week to keep up with paperwork and stuff i don't have time to do when i run the ward...and i'm getting a little cheesed off now. not to mention the overtime i have to do in order to actually pay my bills.

also, have a look at the new pay scales...they are also a bit of a joke for newly trained nurses and for those who are being employed at band 2 - for hcsw's, porters, security etc. it is a pittance for the job they actually do: http://www.rcn.org.uk...018/233901/003303.pdf

nurses are already the lowest paid of teachers, police, social workers etc. and now we have to put up with NO money for two years? tell people, e-mail youe union and have a joly good moan. rant over...sorry x

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xzg9UkU-Nk

[McMouse]

If the starting pay is so crap why go into nursing?

[Bobbisox]

okay hefty being oversized BOO, I concede that, but certainly a reasonable pay rise?

[lcg]

and your increments - they usually fall short of inflation and cost of living rises anyway! it seems like we are always chasing, but never quite getting there. grrr x

[jackthehat]

You do realise that your paltry salary would be most warmly embraced by the wedge of society not yet earning that amount ?

[tiggerblue10]

As I said Icg, a lot of people are in the same boat as you and there is nothing we acn do about it whatever the unions do. If there is sod all in the Treasury where is the money going to come from.

[lcg]

well, excuse me for being poor and actually trying to defend my professional right for decent pay. lets not forget i went to university and had to pay a lot to do so. i sooo niaively thought that if i went from a health care support worker to a nurse and made my vocation (for jth) a professional standard my life would be better. but...still in the same position, just a little more money being bandied about. oh - and lets not forget they are nicking our pension rights as well x

[redcrx]

a starting wage of £21k is rare in this part of UK.

however i do have sympathy for ALL the sectors that are having to reduce services due to budgets.

Sadly, the government have to do this to save the money that the last one was giving away like sweeties. And the easiest place they have to call upon is the NHS / emergency services / local councils money.

[China Doll]

But our pay really isn't that bad compared to others out there and our jobs are in the main fairly protected, that's a lot more than some people have... I know it's not much to feel lucky about necessarily but with a credit crunch comes swings and roundabouts although essentially, (unless you're a millionaire), we're all playing in the same playground. The whole thing's a mess and we're having to muddle through as best we can.

[tiggerblue10]

I'm not having a go at you Icg, I'm just trying to put things in little perspective given the current financial climate. I work for the UKBA and we have been affected as well. I just feel lucky I have a job to go back to when my maternity ends.

[LoftyLottie]

Increments, what are they? Try working for a small company for long hours and working very hard indeed to keep afloat. Annual increments are unheard of. You are lucky if you have had a payrise in the last five years.

I have worked in the public sector and in the private sector (I am now retired) and I know where I was better off.


And quite honestly, whilst there are a lot of hard working people in the NHS, there are a lot who are not.

The people I take my hat off to actually are the paramedics and ambulance teams who I think have the worse deal of all and work the hardest without any complaints.

[LoftyLottie]

Redcrx. I know where you are coming from. £21,000 in our part of the world would be a dream to most people.

Let's not winge. The country is in a bad way and those who have jobs to go to are lucky.

Annual increments indeed!!

[jackthehat]

I try to feel sorry for people earning a mere £ 21,000 p.a. but find it quite difficult, if I'm honest.

[lcg]

btw... i live on the south coast in a very expensive city because that's where me and t'other 'alf went to uni - and couldn't afford to move elsewhere. we're damned if we do and if we don't! can't afford a car or holidays and i know that if i lived where my brother does in gloucestershire, i would be paying £230 less in rent for starters. so - it's all relative. 21k isn't that much if you take into account £80 a month for my piddly pension and £100 for student loans. i think that mp's and bankers should all be flogged and work for free until the debts of this country are paid off. i wonder how long that would take? x

[LoftyLottie]

It's not a huge salary icg76, but neither is it a bad salary. I presume that both of you are working too. I can't feel sorry for you I am afraid as there are people that earn far less and have far more outgoings. If you lived where I lived you would have to have a car or two cars as there is no public transport. The best paid people in our area are those that work in public service.

There will always be those that earn more and probably don't deserve too, but it's no good getting bitter.

Over the years I have learned that money is important but doesn't bring happiness and I certainly don't class you as badly off. Mr LL has not had a increase in salary for about 5 years and to be really honest doesn't get fairly renumerated for what he puts in, but we do have to understand the position the country is in.

Apart from bankers and MP's who would you like to take a drop in salary? The vast majority of us are in the same boat. x