Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Wales have voted to accept the pay deal offer put to them in July.
Related Article: Community nurses call for more ‘GP back-up’ in palliative care decisions
The RCN announced that two thirds of voting members accepted the terms from the Welsh Government, along with ‘unanimous’ acceptance from other health unions in Wales.
Nurses in Wales will now receive their pay rise in October, with backdated pay to follow shortly after.
Back in July, the Welsh Government and unions agreed a deal that would see a 6.5% pay rise, spread over three years, similar to the deal agreed with their counterparts in England.
Related Article: Timeline needed on ‘fair pay agreement’ for care workers, urge MPs
But the Welsh Government claimed it would feature ‘better payments during sickness absence’.
Under the terms, band 5 nurses are set to receive some of the lowest pay rises – a total rise of around 12% over the three years, compared to 18% for band 6 and 22% for band 7 nurses.
Related Article: Government must measure ‘true cost of inaction’ in social care
RCN Wales director Tina Donnelly said: ‘The deal doesn’t mean the fight for fair pay is over and we will need the continued support of members to make sure all members receive the pay rise they deserve in the future, wherever they are in the UK.’
