GSTT motion to London & Eastern RISC - Mobilise to stop the cuts, consultative ballot and national demonstration

This motion was passed at Guys and St Thomas Branch and submitted to the London & Eastern Health RISC. It was passed at the RISC on May 15th. Health sector members need to lobby their NISC delegates to ensure they support the motion and pressure the union to initiate a consultative ballot over pay and cuts as soon as possible. 

Call a consultative ballot over pay and cuts

This branch notes:

1. The department of health is pressing the NHS to carry out £6.6 billion of cuts over the next financial year.
2. The NHS is already in crisis and struggling to meet the basic needs of patients, further cuts will only damage its ability to provide good quality safe care.
3. The 3.3% pay rise given this year is already below projected inflation, and this is due to worsen owing to the burgeoning oil crisis created by Trump’s war on Iran.
4. NHS staff are already struggling to pay their bills, cuts to jobs and below inflation pay rises will worsen this crisis for staff.

This branch believes:

1. Unite needs to mobilise its members now to attempt to stop the avalanche of cuts heading towards the NHS.
2. Only a determined campaign of protests, demonstrations and ultimately strikes will halt the cuts and force the government to invest in the NHS, to stop the cuts and increase our members pay.
3. Unite can lead the way in this building on the successful anti-cuts rally last month, and should approach other NHS unions for support and joint work as our campaign develops.

This branch calls on the National Industrial Sector Committee to:

1. Initiate a consultative ballot over the following two issues:

• The national pay award
• The cuts to jobs and services

2. Produce materials pointing out the below inflation nature of the pay award, the reality that the cuts are due to chronic underfunding of the NHS, and laying out how Unite’s solution of a wealth tax would grant the funding to resolve these issues.

3. Set a date for a national anti-cuts demonstration in the autumn, and approach our sister unions in the NHS for their support with this initiative.