Michelle O’Neill said ministers were determined to “break the cycle” of annual wrangles over pay
The Stormont Executive has allocated £150 million to ministers who were facing shortfalls in meeting public sector pay demands.
The largest allocation is £100 million to Health Minister Mike Nesbitt who had asked fellow ministers for £200 million to enable him to deliver a recommended uplift to healthcare workers.
Nurses have been warning of imminent strike action if a 3.6% increase recommended by the independent Pay Review Body was not met.
Announcing the move, First Minister Michelle O’Neill said the Executive had agreed to provide an additional £100 million to Mr Nesbitt, with the health minister pledging to source the remaining £100 million from within his own existing departmental budget.
The devolved administration has taken the same approach with other ministers who had asked for additional money to deliver pay awards.
Education Minister Paul Givan will receive £37 million, which is again half of what he had asked for.
Justice Minister Naomi Long and Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins will get £6.7 million each, which is 50% of what they had requested to fund pay awards for police and prison officers and Translink transport workers respectively.
Ms O’Neill expressed hope the announcement would lead to a quick resolution of the pay dispute with nursing staff.
“I think we now have a pathway in terms of being able to deal with the health pay issue,” she said.
“And I think it’s a positive step forward.
“Equally, we had the similar conversation around education, and we’ve been able to allocate a further £37 million for our teachers, again for the purposes of teachers’ pay. So collectively, £137 million today across health and education.”
She added: “The health minister said he needed £200 million to deliver pay parity (matching awards recommended elsewhere in the UK). He’s found £100m and we have found £100m, so there is the pot in which he’s dealing with.
“But obviously I’m sensitive to the fact that he needs to speak to the unions now in terms of how that will be delivered. So it’s over to him … but he has the pathway now and he has the money to back it up.”
Ms O’Neill said ministers were determined to “break the cycle” of annual wrangles over pay. She said the Executive’s new three-year budget, which will be drawn up in the coming months, would include “upfront” commitments to cover future pay awards for health workers.
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said the Executive was determined to “have the back” of “hard-working health staff”.
“We have been very clear that it is essential that public sector workers are paid appropriately,” she said.
“We are acutely aware of the pressures on budgets and the significant challenges that departments face.
“But today’s decision about funding for health service pay, support for education, in terms of teachers’ pay, but also across other departments as well, in relation to prison, police officer and Translink pay pressures is a clear signal from the Executive that we are standing there with those departments, with ministers, in recognition that this is something that we need to get resolved.
“We know, and to be very clear, we know that words are not enough. It requires action. It requires the Executive to be clear that we do have the backs of our hard-working public sector workers, and that must mean finding the support that is needed in order to address these issues.
“People should not have to fight for fair pay. And every single year we find ourselves in the situation of the challenge to try to find that, so that is something that we are determined to try to resolve in a better way moving forward as well.”
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