Care Quality Commission staff balloted over strike action

Staff at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have begun voting for industrial action over pay, say unions today (Friday). Five unions – UNISON, PCS, Prospect, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Unite – are balloting workers who ​inspect, monitor and regulate hospitals, care homes, GP ​practices and dental surgeries, as well as ambulance and mental health services. The UNISON and PCS strike ballots began last month, and the others open over the coming weeks. Voting ends either later this month or in early March.* A pay claim for an above-inflation pay rise was submitted by the unions last summer. Since then, the cost of living has soared, say the unions. In December, the CQC imposed an increase of between just 2.75% and 3.5%, on staff, along with a one-off payment of either £100 or £150. The five unions say this amounts to a major cut in salary. They add that since 2010, wages have fallen by as much as a quarter in real terms. UNISON national officer Matt Egan said: “CQC staff play a vital role keeping patients and anyone needing wider health and social care support safe. But their pay has been chipped away year after year. It’s time they got a decent pay rise, and were recognised for their work, not undervalued and undermined.” Prospect deputy general secretary Garry Graham said: “The regulator needs to be able to recruit and retain skilled staff to maintain high standards and safety in health and social care. That means payi...
Source: UNISON Health and safety news - Category: Occupational Health Authors: Tags: News Press release CQC Source Type: news