Covid-19: Pressure on shops and NHS pay offer ‘anger’

A 3% pay rise offered to nurses and other NHS workers by the government has left staff “really angry and upset” and feeling they are not “valued for what they do,” a union has told the BBC – and after a consultation it could lead to a strike. The Royal College of Nursing had called for a 12.5% pay increase, which it says would help fill vacancies and retain staff. It claims the 3% – or an additional £1,000 a year for the average nurse – is effectively a pay cut once inflation is factored in. The pay rise, recommended by an independent NHS pay review body then accepted by the government, was a recognition of the “extraordinary efforts” of the health service’s workers, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said.

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