Yahoo News What was the full and final pay deal rejected by nurses?
The offer has been accepted by members of the Unison union, which includes ambulance drivers and some nurses, but has been rejected by members of the RCN
The Royal College of Nursing has announced plans to strike once again, after rejecting a pay offer from the government.
RCN members will take 48-hour strike action on 30 April, beginning at 8am, after rejecting what it described as a offer that was "neither a fair nor a reasonable" one.
On Monday, a spokesperson for No 10 said it would be the final offer, describing it as "fair offer", adding: "We’re not looking to re-open it.”
Both sides have indicated they are prepared to stick it out in the long-term with Cullen saying action could go on "until Christmas".
What pay offer did nurses turn down?
The government has offered nurses a 5% pay rise for 2023-24, as well as a lump sum of at least £1,655 that will come as a top-up on last year's pay. The offer has been accepted by members of the Unison union, which includes ambulance drivers and some nurses, but has been rejected by members of the RCN.
RCN chief Pat Cullen said: "Members have clearly decided and I absolutely believe in them, that this is neither a fair nor a reasonable offer from the government."
She also addressed concerns that nurses and junior doctors would team up over strikes to cause maximum chaos.
Read more: Striking nurses will lose public support if a child dies, union boss admits
"Our door’s always open to have talks and there are other unions who are currently in the process of balloting their members, and, hopefully, they can see that the offer that we put forward is a reasonable one that recognises their hard work and the contribution they make, and also recognises that we have to do these things in a way that’s affordable for taxpayers, but also gets inflation down.
"What we're very clear about is that we work very closely with our colleagues in the BMA.
"Doctors and nurses work side by side on every single shift 24 hours a day, and they understand the pressures that they're both under.
"And we will continue to work closely with our colleagues and the BMA, but there are no plans to coordinate strikes."
Rishi Sunak has called the 54%-46% pay offer rejection "disappointing" and a "very narrow vote".
“Indeed, when you look at the turnout, it’s a minority of members of that union who are voting to strike," he said.
"I think voting to strike with no derogations, given the closeness of the vote, is obviously disappointing and everyone will be concerned about the impact on patient care.
Read more: Pat Cullen: 'We are prepared to strike all year if we need to'
"Our door’s always open to have talks and there are other unions who are currently in the process of balloting their members, and, hopefully, they can see that the offer that we put forward is a reasonable one that recognises their hard work and the contribution they make, and also recognises that we have to do these things in a way that’s affordable for taxpayers, but also gets inflation down."
