Well being secretary received’t negotiate pay with nurses, No 10 suggests; rail strikes to go forward after RMT refuses pay supply – stay | Politics

Severin Carrell

Two main well being unions in Scotland have referred to as off strike motion after narrowly voting for an upgraded pay supply following ministerial intervention.

Unite and Unison, which symbolize tens of 1000’s of NHS and Scottish ambulance service employees, stated their members had agreed to a recent supply that may give the lowest-paid employees as much as £2,751, up by 11.24%, with most employees paid £2,205, up 7.5%, and a brand new minimal hourly price of £11.09.

The deal, brokered by Scottish ministers, raises the prospect that Scotland’s hospitals will escape industrial motion this winter and provides to the strain on UK authorities ministers to intervene in pay disputes anticipated to hit the NHS throughout the remainder of the UK this month.

Learn extra: Well being unions name off strike motion in Scotland after new pay supply

No 10 suggests Barclay will not negotiate on pay in talks with RCN this night

Andrew Sparrow

On the afternoon No 10 foyer briefing, requested about Steve Barclay’s assembly with the RCN tonight, the PM’s spokesperson stated: “I believe he’s been clear that he’s all the time keen to satisfy with the Royal Faculty of Nursing.”

However the spokesperson additionally performed down the prospect of Barclay being keen to barter on pay – the situation set by the RCN for its strike to be referred to as off. The spokesperson stated:

The place on pay has not modified – that’s rightly for an impartial assessment physique to resolve.

That’s all from me for right now. My colleague Joe Middleton is now taking up.

Boris Johnson requires Ukraine to be equipped with long-range missiles

Dan Sabbagh

Boris Johnson referred to as on defence secretary Ben Wallace within the Commons to arm Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles to “take out” the launch websites of Russian drones and missiles which might be at the moment battering the nation’s civilians and its energy grid.

The previous prime minister publicly lobbied for the missiles, lengthy sought by the Ukrainians, which have a variety of as much as 300km, however up to now the US and its allies, together with the UK, have declined to produce as a result of they may very well be used to hit targets inside Russia.

Talking at defence questions within the Commons, Johnson requested:

Does [Wallace] agree with me that we and our allies should assist our Ukrainian mates not simply to take out the drones and missiles, and which means supplying them with anti-aircraft programs and fixed-wing plane to assist shoot them down, but in addition to take out the launch websites of these missiles and drones by supplying the Ukrainians with the usage of longer-range missile programs corresponding to ATACMS as a result of that’s the approach really to guard our Ukrainian mates and to carry the struggle to an finish as quickly as potential?

In reply, Wallace was cautious to not rule something out, though in actuality except the White Home modifications its thoughts, it’s unlikely the British minister can do a lot about it. After praising Johnson’s assist for Ukraine when he was in No 10, Wallace stated “the mass concentrating on of civilian essential infrastructure is just not solely a struggle crime, however is a struggle crime that we should see doesn’t go unpunished.”

The defence secretary added that he reviewed always the “weapon programs we might present” and urged that continued concentrating on of the electrical energy grid by Russia could immediate a change of coverage. He went on:

Ought to the Russians proceed to focus on civilian areas and try to break these Geneva Conventions, then I will probably be open-minded to seeing what we do subsequent.

Again to the RMT, and its members voted by 63.6% to reject Community Rail’s pay supply, on an 83% turnout.

Mick Lynch, the RMT common secretary, stated:

It is a big rejection of Community Rail’s substandard supply and reveals that our members are decided to take additional strike motion in pursuit of a negotiated settlement.

The federal government is refusing to carry a finger to forestall these strikes and it’s clear they wish to make efficient strike motion unlawful in Britain.

We are going to resist that and our members, together with your complete commerce union motion, will proceed their marketing campaign for a sq. deal for employees, respectable pay will increase and good working circumstances.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will now press forward with two 48-hour strikes at Community Rail – and 14 prepare firms – from Tuesday and Friday.

As PA Media studies, the RMT will now now press forward with two 48-hour strikes at Community Rail – and 14 prepare firms – from Tuesday and Friday. PA says:

Trains will run from 7.30am to six.30pm on this week’s strike days, though many elements of the nation can have no companies, together with most of Scotland and Wales.

A strike by members of Unite at Community Rail is not going to go forward after they voted to simply accept the supply.

Community Rail had supplied a 5% pay rise for this 12 months – backdated to January – with one other 4% at first of 2023 and a assure of no obligatory job losses till January 2025.

The RMT’s govt really helpful rejecting the supply, saying it was linked to “vital” modifications to working practices.

RMT employees at Community Rail can even strike from 6pm on Christmas Eve till 6am on 27 December.

Passengers planning to journey on Christmas Eve will doubtless be urged to finish their journeys by the point industrial motion begins.

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has urged Rishi Sunak and his UK authorities colleagues to comply with her instance and get entangled in attempting to resolve disputes with the general public sector unions.

As STV studies, she stated Scotland was more likely to keep away from well being strikes this week, partially as a result of the Scottish authorities has been actively concerned in attempting to succeed in a pay settlement. She stated:

This week, Scotland is more likely to be the one a part of the UK that doesn’t have strikes in its NHS as a result of we’ve got sought to succeed in an settlement.

Unions are nonetheless balloting on these affords in Scotland however they aren’t putting this week as a result of they recognise that the Scottish authorities has sat down and tried to ship equity.

The opposite distinction between me and ministers at UK stage is that I’ve a deep and really profound respect for commerce unions and the position of collective bargaining.

We now have not, in contrast to counterparts elsewhere, held again in these disputes. We now have sought to maximise the pay will increase we’re giving and I’d ask and hope that lecturers, like within the NHS, will recognise that and that we search to succeed in a decision on that foundation.

Sturgeon stated it was fallacious for UK authorities ministers to counsel that public sector employees had been pushing up inflation. She stated:

I believe it’s profoundly fallacious for UK authorities ministers to say that public sector employees are liable for the inflationary pressures we see or the broader financial points we’re coping with. Partially due to the folly of Brexit, we’ve got labour shortages throughout the general public sector.

And she or he urged UK ministers to comply with her instance.

I’d make a plea to the UK authorities right now to get around the desk with these employees with the intention to see these points resolved.

Academics in Scotland are nonetheless planning strike motion for January, however Sturgeon stated that she hoped that the most recent repay can be sufficient to avert this.

Within the Commons earlier, when the SNP MP Steven Bonnar argued that UK ministers ought to comply with Sturgeon’s instance (see 3.56pm), Will Quince, the well being minister, urged that Sturgeon’s method was flawed. Due to her involvement, well being employees in Scotland had acquired “a significantly larger supply”, that went past what the pay assessment physique had really helpful, he stated. He went on:

It’ll be fascinating to see if the primary minister of Scotland goes to do that each single 12 months and go towards the suggestions of their pay assessment physique.

Quince additionally stated each further 1% in pay given to the Agenda for Pay workforce (well being employees excluding medical doctors) price £750m. That was cash that would not be spent tackling ready lists, he stated.

And he stated the entire level of getting a pay assessment physique was that “it depoliticises the problem, and you aren’t having ministers straight negotiating with unions”.

Rishi Sunak is going through a protest from some Conservative MPs over the shortage of progress on the animal welfare (saved animals) invoice.

The laws, championed by Boris Johnson and his animal welfare campaigner spouse Carrie, was speculated to be a ‘Brexit bonus’, banning stay animal exports and cracking down on pet smuggling.

It was first launched within the 2021-22 session of parliament, and was carried over into this session within the spring. However since then it has been stalled, and Sunak is known to be lukewarm about its measures as a result of a lot of them go towards his free commerce instincts.

The letter, which is signed by MPs together with former surroundings secretary George Eustice and Priti Patel, the previous house secretary, states:

We … write to you right now to request time is made for the animal welfare (saved animals) invoice to return to parliament as quickly as feasibly potential.

On stay animal exports, it provides: “The introduction of such a coverage would make Nice Britain the primary nation in Europe to finish the gruelling journeys farmed animals endure as they’re transported abroad.”

The MPs level out the dedication was within the 2019 manifesto and so “have to be honoured”.

The letter has been organised by the Conservative Animal Welfare Basis, one among whose patrons is Carrie Johnson.

Members of the RMT have rejected their most up-to-date pay supply from Community Rail, and can go forward with their strikes, later this week, the union has introduced.

This comes as no shock. Final week the union management described the supply as unacceptable, and stated that it anticipated its Community Rail members to reject it in a poll.

Unite and Unison name off strike for well being employees in Scotland after getting revised pay supply

Severin Carrell

Two main well being unions in Scotland have referred to as off potential strike motion in hospitals and ambulance companies after narrowly voting to simply accept a revised pay supply, elevating the prospect the NHS in Scotland could escape industrial motion this winter.

Unite and Unison, which symbolize tens of 1000’s of NHS and Scottish ambulance service employees, stated their members had accepted a recent pay supply which can give the bottom paid employees as much as £2,751, up by 11.24%, with most paid £2,205, up 7.5%, and a brand new minimal hourly price of £11.09.

The Royal Faculty of Nursing Scotland, which has an unprecedented mandate from its members to name strike motion, is consulting its members on a revised pay supply and is because of announce the outcomes subsequent week. The Royal Faculty of Midwives in Scotland, which has additionally threatened strike motion, is because of announce the outcomes of its poll on the revised supply on Thursday.

The development in Scotland in the direction of resolving NHS strikes following ministerial interventions is in putting distinction to the deadlock with the NHS in England, the place ministers have refused to intervene, regardless of requests from the unions to mediate. RCN members in England, Wales and Northern Eire are attributable to strike on Thursday 15 December and Tuesday 20 December.

Scottish ministers have complained they’re too cash-strapped to satisfy the hefty pay calls for of public sector unions, however Scottish public companies are, on a per-capita foundation, higher funded than in most different elements of the UK.

Wilma Brown, chair of Unison’s Scotland’s well being committee, stated this deal was a “pause” within the ongoing dispute over NHS funding. She stated:

While this choice ends the instant risk of business motion, it isn’t a win for presidency – it’s a warning … Nearly half of Unison NHS employees voted to reject this newest pay supply, and plenty of who did vote to simply accept, did so reluctantly.

There’s a staffing disaster within the NHS. The well being service is constantly understaffed and under-resourced and every single day employees are anticipated to ship extra with much less.

Steve Barclay, the well being secretary, is because of maintain a gathering with the Royal Faculty of Nursing later right now, the RCN has stated. That is from BBC’s Hugh Pym studies.

Wes Streeting, the shadow well being secretary, says duty for these strikes lies with the federal government.

The Royal Faculty of Nursing has stated it’ll name of its strike if the federal government is keen to barter over pay, he says. He says that could be a “affordable supply”, he says.

He says that after 12 years of Tory authorities, sufferers are not seen on time and the NHS has been pushed to breaking level. He says ministers know that sufferers are going to endure this winter, and so it’s letting the strikes happen in order that nurses and paramedics than take the blame. It’s a “disgusting” plan, he says.

He says Steve Barclay ought to be embarrassed asking the military to step in to cowl up for his embarrassment.

Within the Commons Will Quince, the well being minister, is responding to Wes Streeting’s pressing query in regards to the NHS strikes.

He says he’s answering as a result of Steve Barclay, the well being secretary, is attending this afternoon’s Cobra assembly dedicated to contingency planning for the strikes.

He says ministers are “deeply involved’” in regards to the dangers strikes pose to sufferers.

However folks ought to proceed to return ahead for remedy in the event that they want it.

He says it’s “inevitable” some sufferers can have remedy delayed.

Labour is pushing for last-minute amendments to the federal government’s plans to introduce voter identification earlier than the native elections in Could, however is not going to again a Liberal Democrat plan to kill it off within the Lords.

Get together officers stated they needed ministers to analyze voter suppression on the subsequent spherical of native elections, and to arrange a particular committee to take a look at the potential affect of the brand new guidelines in Could, earlier than urgent forward. The Electoral Fee has advised the Monetary Instances that the speedy implementation of the controversial scheme might imply the brand new system wouldn’t be “accessible, safe and workable”.

Campaigners and shadow ministers are significantly involved that sure types of ID corresponding to photographic journey passes will probably be accepted for over-60s, however not for youthful folks.

However Labour believes that the Lib Dems can not win a so-called “deadly movement” within the Lords to kill the invoice off totally, and so is pushing its personal “remorse movement”, which might don’t have any direct affect on the laws itself.

Wes Streeting, the shadow well being secretary, has described Steve Barclay’s response to the NHS pay dispute “a whole joke”.

Referring to the well being secretary’s refusal to speak to the Royal Faculty of Nursing about pay, Streeting stated:

The nurses are providing to barter. The one factor they’ve stated is that they wish to speak about pay. That’s all they’ve stated. The door is open, and for the federal government to refuse to sit down down and even speak for even a minute of negotiations, realizing that doing so will avert strike motion is deeply irresponsible.

And if sufferers endure disruption this week as they may if strikes go forward, they may comprehend it’s Conservative ministers responsible, not the nurses.

Steve Barclay’s, the well being secretary’s, response to the strike has been a whole joke.

Streeting additionally accused Barclay of “spoiling for a battle”. He defined:

I believe the federal government’s cussed refusal to have interaction in critical negotiations reveals they’re spoiling for a battle. They wish to blame nurses, blame paramedics, blame NHS employees for challenges within the nationwide well being service that are the direct fault and duty of 12 years of Conservative mismanagement – frankly, I believe it’s disgusting.

Streeting was talking throughout a go to to Lister hospital in Stevenage with Keir Starmer.

Heathrow has introduced it’s doing “the whole lot we will” to make sure no flights are cancelled attributable to Border Power strikes, PA Media studies. It’s one among six UK airports the place Border Power employees will strike from 23 December, PA says.

In a press release Heathrow stated:

We’re doing the whole lot we will to guard a full flight schedule on strike days, so departing passengers ought to anticipate to journey as regular.

Arriving passengers with UK, EU, US, Canadian and another passports will be capable to use e-gates as typical and their journeys ought to be largely unaffected on strike days.

Border Power has contingency measures to make sure different arriving passengers are cleared safely and as shortly as potential.

We’re persevering with to assist them to strengthen these plans in order that as few persons are impacted as potential.

If passengers who can not use e-gates are involved about travelling throughout the strikes, their airline could possibly supply them different journey dates.

This announcement is not going to reassure households arriving with youngsters underneath the age of 12, as a result of typically they can’t use e-gates.

And the Residence Workplace and Border Power stated in a joint assertion:

Those that are attributable to journey into the UK throughout the proposed industrial motion ought to be ready to face longer wait instances at UK border management.

Please be affected person and respect officers who’re working to maintain our residents secure and border safe, and supporting travellers throughout the strike motion.