Jan 07: Pay Review Body publishes report of research with a sample of NHS Employers who claimed they had few recruitment and retention problems ... however "Trusts were concerned that recruitment and retention premiums could start a pay spiral" - clearly this is in breech of the national agreement.  It was also reported that Trusts were more favourable to High Cost Area premiums - but again this has not happened locally. Report here.

November 2007: Tracy, a senior steward in UNISON, goes to London to the government appointed Pay Review Body to explain the problems of surviving on NHS pay and bringing up a family

1st April 08: Following the 'yes' vote in the union ballot the new unsocial hours payments are phased in. Biggest beneficiaries are likely to be Health Care Assistants on bands 2+3 and band 7, 8+9 staff. Ancillary staff, particularly those on bands 3+4 (eg chefs), are expressing concern. Pay is currently protected until 2011. Discussion needs to start regarding recruitment and retention premiums. Unions need to negotiate prospective or retrospective payments of the USH payments in each NHS Trust.

31 March 08: NHS pension scheme which permits retirement at 60 with no loss of benefit closes to new entrants. All current NHS employees should actively consider whether to take out an NHS occupational pension during March. Pensions are deferred pay.

Last summer - leaders of local unions from the Oxford and District TUC meet with Andrew Smith MP (Lab, E Oxford)  to discuss below inflation pay offers from the government. Branch ballots indicated 92% of members wanted to reject and over 2/3 supported industrial action. Andrew stuck to the government line but promised a small amount of additional funding meaning that the lowest paid workers would not suffer so severely. In the light of this government offer the national leadership voted to end the industrial action ballot. Mark was one of a minority of national leaders who believes we should have fought for a better deal.

1st Feb 08: UNISON Health Branch launches local version of UNISON / TUC campaign at the branch AGM. See letter to MPs here (and please send it if you have not done so yet) - the response from Andrew Smith MP is here (click picture to download full document).

Jan 08: NHS national staff council statement (with NHS Employers & unions) that the old COLS (cost of living supplement), now converted to a Recruitment and Retention premium, is payable to new starters in jobs with originally attracted this supplement. This applies mainly to registered health professionals but some of the old C grade non-registered staff also got this. See FAQ here. The union has always taken the view that the high cost of living in the region means that all staff should get this. See High Cost Area section of AfC national agreement here.

Equal pay campaign: branch funds small delegation to Newcastle to defend equal pay case at Employment Tribunal. Our delegation, lead by Janice, a UNISON staff nurse, defended UNISON's position under examination by the employer's barrister.