By Eniola Amadu
Only half of the £200m needed to settle the long-delayed pay award for healthcare workers in Northern Ireland has been found, according to Stormont’s Health Minister Mike Nesbitt.
The revelation has cast doubt on earlier claims by First Minister Michelle O’Neill, who said the minister had “found” £100m to help resolve the pay dispute, with the executive agreeing to provide the remaining £100m on Thursday.
The delay in finalising this year’s pay deal had pushed nurses and other health workers to consider strike action, amid growing frustration over the failure to align Northern Ireland’s pay awards with those in other parts of the UK.
In a statement on Thursday, Nesbitt said that while the additional £100m from the executive was “welcomed,” his department was still working to secure the rest.
“My department is exploring every angle to try and meet the deficit and discussions with health unions and professional bodies are at a sensitive stage, with work continuing at pace to try and find a workable solution,” he said.
The executive also announced an additional £37m to support teachers’ pay.
O’Neill described the latest development as a “positive step forward,” saying there was now a clear pathway for continued discussions with healthcare unions.
“I think we now have a pathway in terms of being able to deal with the health pay issue, and I think it’s a positive step forward,” she said.
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly added that the executive was committed to supporting public sector workers.
“We are here to have the back of our hardworking health staff,” she said, noting that ministers also aimed to address pay concerns for police, prison, and transport workers.
However, unions expressed caution. John Patrick Clayton of Unison said the outcome depended on the finer details.
“We’re going to need to see precisely what that translates into… whether that can actually match the expectation that is there from our members that the bare minimum they’re entitled to is pay parity,” he said.
Meanwhile, Justin McCamphill of the NASUWT teachers’ union welcomed the £37m allocation but said more clarity was needed.
“This news is welcome… but we don’t yet know what the full impact will be on teachers’ pay negotiations,” he said.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) had earlier urged the Northern Ireland Executive to act swiftly to avoid further disruption in the health service, warning that patience among staff was wearing thin.
