Lancashire nurses to protest pay cap

As part of the Royal College of Nursing's 'Summer of Protest', Lancashire branch activists and members are holding a series of events to support the pay campaign.
Royal College of Nursing say that people are not joining the profession and many are leaving.Royal College of Nursing say that people are not joining the profession and many are leaving.
Royal College of Nursing say that people are not joining the profession and many are leaving.

Representatives say they are sending a clear message to Government, by ‘signing in the sand' opposite the famous Blackpool Tower to #scrapthecap using Blackpool rock before giving it away to holidaymakers, young and old on Wednesday 26 July at 8pm.

They are also hosting a Pay Protest Family Picnic in Avenham Park in Preston on Thursday 27 July from 11pm to 2pm.

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Since 2010, pay freezes and the 1% cap on public sector pay increases have left NHS nursing staff at least £3,000 worse off as salaries fall by 14 per cent in real-terms. The pay cap not only leaves nurses struggling financially, it devalues nurses and nursing.

Royal College of Nursing say that people are not joining the profession and many are leaving. Patients cannot get the care they need because there are not enough nurses - there are 40,000 unfilled nursing jobs across England.

Many nurses are now getting involved in a “summer of protest” to give the Government a final chance to remove the cap before a formal legal ballot on action later in the year.

Branch Chair Maggy Heaton said: “It is important to hold events such as these as we want to show the public how much we need their support by telling about the impact of the 1% pay cap on both nurses and patients.”

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RCN Senior Regional Office Mary-Anne Parkinson added: “It is essential that nurses throw their weight behind this campaign. The summer of protest is not industrial action nor are we encouraging members to vote for industrial action. We will be organising events in NHS workplaces and nursing staff and colleagues are working as normal. What we are doing is bringing the issue of poor pay and low staffing to the attention of the public and our employers.”

For further information about the campaign visit: https://www.rcn.org.uk/nursingcounts/scrap-the-cap