Nurses in England Reject Government's 5.5% Pay Rise

The Royal College of Nursing cites concerns over understaffing, poor patient care, and low pay grades as reasons for rejecting the offer.

Two-thirds of Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members voted against the 5.5% pay rise in a record-high turnout of 145,000 members.
The RCN has been in a pay dispute with the government since 2022 and has previously staged walkouts during the winter of 2022-23.
The rejected pay rise would have increased newly-qualified nurses' salaries by approximately £1,500 annually, bringing their pay close to £30,000.
The RCN's letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting emphasized the need for urgent action to address understaffed shifts, poor patient care, and low pay grades.
Other health unions have accepted the 5.5% pay deal, and junior doctors recently agreed to a 22% multi-year pay rise, ending their long-running dispute.