District nurses signal appetite to strike in dispute with health board 

District nurses surveyed about industrial action against a Scottish health board have ‘overwhelmingly indicated’ a willingness to strike following an ongoing dispute over job grades and pay.

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland district nurse members working in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC) were asked to indicate whether or not they would be willing to take industrial action up to and including strike action in support of this dispute.

In an indicative ballot, which ran from 26 August until 9 September, 98% of voting members said they would be willing to take industrial action including strike action.

The RCN is in dispute with the health board on behalf of around 130 district nurses working at band 6, over what the union describes as a failure to conduct a job evaluation based on a job description available since 2023.

The union has accused NHS GGC of failing to follow nationally-agreed job evaluation processes, despite a new job description having been agreed between several trade unions (RCN Scotland, GMB Scotland, Unison and Unite) and the employer.

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To date, no band 6 district nursing jobs have been evaluated using the agreed job description.

RCN Scotland Board will consider the result and the next steps following the ballot, which could include a formal statutory ballot for strike action, a legal requirement before industrial action can take place.

Barbara Sweeney, senior RCN officer, said: ‘Our members have expressed their deep dissatisfaction and anger at the way they have been treated by the health board.

‘Industrial action is always a last resort but make no mistake, our members have overwhelmingly indicated they are willing to stand up for their rights and withdraw their labour.’

Ms Sweeney said the health board had been given opportunities to resolve the RCN members’ concerns but that members ‘have been left with no choice’ but to consider action.

‘The health board can avoid a strike by respecting the nationally agreed process, evaluating their job description and respecting the outcome. The knowledge and skills and the job that these district nurses do now for their patients and the community merits no less.

‘We will continue to press NHS GGC and lobby the Scottish government for the right solution to this dispute. In the meantime, we have no choice but to move towards a formal ballot for strike action unless the health board changes its stance,’ she added.

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A representative from NHS GGC said: ‘We greatly value the work of our district nurses and fully support the modernisation of roles. We fully accept that the process of review has gone on for far too long at NHS GGC and we recognise how important it is for us to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.

‘We have set out a potential way forward which would align the new job description, once evaluated, to those staff with the required qualifications and who are undertaking the role.

‘We have advised that we will also support any district nurse who wishes to undertake the required qualifications outlined in the new job description to achieve them.

We believe this would show fair recognition for the training and responsibilities undertaken by staff.

‘We are disappointed that we have not yet been able to reach an agreement with trade unions, however we have offered further dates to meet again with our trade union colleagues to find a way forward for our staff and for our services.’

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Last month, district nurses staged a protest outside the offices of NHS GGC to voice their anger over their job grades and pay. 

A consultative ballot of GMB Scotland members also revealed full support for industrial action if there was no swift resolution to the job evaluation.

Separately, a consultation led by Unison that ended in early August, found members would be in favour of strike action if the job evaluation issue was not resolved.