12th January 2012 -

The next edition of HCSA News will summarise the Government’s current “final” offer. That should be with members by the end of January at the latest and will invite members to let the Executive know their views.

This will again be in the form of a web-based survey and the results used to determine whether a mandate exists to ballot for industrial action.

22nd December 2011 - HCSA to consider new offer on pensions

The following NHS Staff Council Trade Unions (listed below) have confirmed the response to the Government's final position on the main elements of scheme design for the NHS Pension Scheme to be introduced in 2015.

The unions agree to take this to their relevant Executive bodies as the best that can be achieved through negotiations. Further work on the remaining details will take place in the new year, and Executives will consult members as appropriate. This includes a commitment to suspend any further industrial action while the final details are resolved and Unions are consulting their members.

There are important issues still to be resolved and the final decision on agreeing or otherwise will be taken by each union in line with their own democratic processes.

British Association of Occupational Therapists
British Dental Association
British Dietetics Association
British Medical Association
British and Irish Orthoptic Society
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
Federation of Clinical Scientists
GMB
Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association
Managers in Partnership
Royal College of Midwives
Royal College of Nursing
Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists
Society of Radiographers
UNISON

TUC Day of Action November 30th – The HCSA Position

At a meeting of its ruling Council held on October 21st, The Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association considered whether to hold a members' ballot to take industrial action on November 30th over the Government's pension reforms. It did so in the context of Government proposals that will require Hospital Consultants to work longer before being able to access their pension, pay more in pension contributions, and receive considerably less than promised when they joined the scheme. The impact of the pension proposals will be felt by all Hospital Consultants with the newly appointed, and Consultants of tomorrow, being the most significantly affected.

President of Council, Dr. Umesh Udeshi, Consultant Radiologist in Worcester recognised the unfairness of what is being proposed. He reminded delegates that the damaging implications would be particularly felt by the lower paid but essential staff of the NHS whilst also having a disproportionate and damaging effect on Consultants who had worked hard throughout their careers. "The unfair pension proposals will have a negative impact for all NHS staff irrespective of salary, job, or length of service" he said "and it must be right that as senior members of the NHS Team we do what we can to defend everyone who has invested in the NHS Pension scheme who now stand to lose a great deal if these changes go ahead."

The HCSA Council took the view that as the HCSA was party to the continuing discussions with Government it would not be appropriate to take industrial action on November 30th. HCSA met with the Health Secretary on October 18th and continues in negotiations with Government. It agreed to reconsider this option if Government refused to hold meaningful negotiations around the contributions to the scheme, the pension change from final salary to career average and the unfairness of reneging on a pension package agreed only three years ago.

This is all the more unfair, as the NHS pension scheme is in an annual surplus at present by some £2 billion per annum and the Treasury is taking this surplus and using it for general purposes, not investing it for future pensioners!

The HCSA wants to be responsible but the facts are Consultants are in the middle of a three year pay freeze, already contribute a higher proportion of their salaries to their pensions than lower paid staff, and will pay higher taxes both on their incomes and their pensions when they receive them. Consultants will be particularly disadvantaged by a career average based pension - it takes 19 years of completed service to reach the top of the salary scale, so the career average is lower than groups whose salary reaches the top of the scale much quicker.

"We are doing our fair share! It seems the government just keeps coming back for more as they know that we will not advocate any industrial action which puts our patients at risk. We are certainly not ruling out the possibility of industrial action in the future" said Dr. Udeshi, "although it would be a tragic state of affairs if senior hospital doctors were forced down that route. But unless or until the Government understands the very real damage created by these pension reforms I can see the day when doctors will indeed join their NHS colleagues of all disciplines in an unprecedented show of protest."

Whilst not taking industrial action on November 30th, the HCSA will be organising a number of local events and will work with local Trade Union branches to provide effective HCSA support on this the day of protest.

- 29th November 2011 AUTUMN STATEMENT 2011

In response to the Chancellor George Osborne's statement that public sector pay rises are to be capped at 1% for two years., Stephen Campion, Chief Executive has issued the following response:

"This announcement reinforces the need for a negotiated settlement on both pay and pensions, although I very much fear that attitudes will harden in the coming weeks. The timing of all this is particularly insensitive coming as it does not only during the pension negotiations but also when the Government has been made aware only this week of the need for improved hospital consultant cover at night and weekends. Today's announcement will do little to help the Health Secretary and NHS Employers work with health professionals who will feel even more undervalued than they did before the Chancellor's announcement."