Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Healthcare workers in England to decide on new pay offer by end of April

Britain sought to end months of walk-outs in the healthcare sector by offering a five per cent wage increase for 1 million nurses, paramedics, midwives and other workers in England

Healthcare workers in England to decide on new pay offer by end of April

Healthcare workers in England will decide by the end of April whether to accept a government pay proposal aimed at ending strikes which have disrupted hospital and emergency care, two trade unions said on Friday (17).

Britain sought to end months of walk-outs in the healthcare sector on Thursday (16) by offering a five per cent wage increase for the coming year for 1 million nurses, paramedics, midwives and other workers in England. Union members will now vote on the offer.

One of the unions, Unison, said on Friday that results from all unions involved would be in by the end of April, while the GMB union said its ballot would take about four weeks.

The offer includes a one-off payment of two per cent of 2022/23 salaries and a five per cent pay rise for 2023/24, which begins in early April, the government said.

Three of the unions — Unison, GMB and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) — have recommended their members accept the offer, while another, Unite, has said that while its members will vote on the proposal, it did not recommend they accept it.

Unions had generally sought wage hikes more in line with inflation, which has been near 10 per cent.

"Key issues are that the non-consolidated lump sum won't help the recruitment crisis and the offer for next year is far below the current rate of inflation," a Unite spokesperson said by email.

Strikes by the healthcare workers involved have been paused while the offer is considered, but will only formally end if members approve the deal in votes or consultations over the coming weeks.

The pay proposal does not apply to junior doctors, who are in a separate dispute.

(Reuters)

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less