NHS workers will stage a protest outside Downing Street over the government’s offer of a three per cent pay rise.
The salary increased was described as "grossly inadequate and underwhelming" by Unite the union.
Health workers, including those from hospitals across London, will march to Downing Street tomorrow (Friday, July 29) in protest against the decision.
Unions continue to consult their members over the three per cent proposal and have previously warned of possible industrial action.
Unite national officer for health Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe said: “We fully support our health members in their protest at the grossly inadequate and underwhelming three per cent pay recommendation.
“We believe that the public shares our disgust at this paltry offer which reinforces our resolve for pay justice.
“The government decision to accept the NHS Pay Review Body’s recommendation was too little and too late after we have been asking for an early and significant pay rise for health workers for over a year.
“Three per cent will do very little to staunch the escalating recruitment and retention crisis. It is estimated there are 100,000 vacancies in the health service and very little in the way of a plan to recruit the numbers needed.”
Following the announcement of the pay decision last week, the Department of Health and Social Care said the “average nurse” will receive an additional £1,000 a year, while many porters and cleaners will get around £540.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) described the decision as a “bitter blow”, saying that the salary increase would in fact be a cut once inflation was taken into account.
Patricia Marquis, England director of the RCN, said the award left nurses feeling they were not “valued for what they do”.
The government had initially proposed a one per cent pay increase to the NHS Pay Review Body, which proved controversial back in March, before then accepting recommendations to give NHS staff in England a three per cent rise backdated to April.
The RCN had been campaigning for a 12.5 per cent pay increase.
The three per cent increase will be paid to the majority of NHS staff, including nurses, paramedics, consultants, dentists and salaried GPs, but does not cover doctors and dentists in training.
