Steve Barclay accused of ‘belligerence’ after refusing to discuss nurses’ pay at strike talks

‘They have closed their books and walked away’, says RCN chief after last-ditch bid to avoid strikes fails

Health secretary Steve Barclay has been accused of “belligerence” after refusing to discuss pay demands at talks with nursing union leaders, as the war of words over looming strikes turns bitter.

Despite agreeing to speak to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) on Monday evening, Mr Barclay stuck by the government’s refusal to negotiate on the union’s demand for a pay rise 5 per cent above inflation.

RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said Mr Barclay refused to even discuss pay with her, with strikes now set to take place on 15 and 20 December.

“They would not talk to me about pay,” she said. “I needed to come out of this meeting with something serious to show nurses why they should not strike this week. Regrettably, they are not getting an extra penny.

The union leader added: “I expressed my deep disappointment at the belligerence – they have closed their books and walked away.”

Ahead of talks, Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman said the health secretary would only be discussing things “outside of pay” – saying pay offers were remained a matter for independent pay review bodies.

Earlier on Monday, Mr Barclay said giving in to pay demands would take money away from funding NHS operations – and again insisted that he would not negotiate on the 4 to 5 per cent pay increase offer set out earlier this year.

On the backlog of seven million people waiting for an operation, Mr Barclay told the BBC: “I don’t want to be taking money away from clearing the backlog, which is what we would have to do – we’d have to take money away from patients waiting for operations to then fund additional pay.”

Ms Cullen told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that the RCN could delay a strike set for 15 December if the government showed it was willing to negotiate – even through Acas – on an improved pay offer. “My door is open,” she later told Sky News.

Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting branded the government’s approach to the NHS pay dispute “disgusting” – accusing ministers of “spoiling for a fight” and letting down patients by refusing to properly engage with unions.

Only a “few hours of talk” on pay at the last minute could avoid strike action by nurses, Mr Streeting said.

He added: “The RCN and Unison have said they will call off strikes this week if they are willing to negotiate with them seriously on pay. This is a reasonable offer of compromise that is surely too good to refuse – so what on earth are they playing at?”

Mr Streeting said the government’s “stubborn refusal to engage in serious negotiations shows they are spoiling for a fight” – accused ministers of blaming staff for waiting lists.

“They want to blame nurses, blame paramedics, blame NHS staff for challenges in the national health service which are the direct fault and responsibility of 12 years of Conservative mismanagement – frankly, I think it’s disgusting,” said the shadow health secretary.

Mr Streeting also confirmed Labour would not be able to meet the unions’ demand for a 19 per cent pay rise – 5 per cent above RPI inflation – but would be willing to negotiate.

Pat Cullen, the head of the Royal College of Nurses (PA)

It comes as senior ministers held a meeting of Cobra – the government’s emergency response committee – to plan for a wave of strike action in the days ahead is understood to be ongoing.

A wave of strikes by nurses, paramedics, rail workers and Border Force staff this month is expected to cause mass disruption, with thousands of NHS operations and appointments cancelled.

The military and civil servants are likely to be brought in to cover Border Force staff, while armed forces will also be deployed to hospital trusts ahead of an ambulance worker strike on 21 December.

Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden has urged unions to call off strikes to prevent disruption – saying it was unfair to strike when the country was still “suffering” from the impact of the Ukraine war and Covid.

“I don’t think most people think it’s fair and reasonable to undertake these strikes,” Mr Dowden claimed after the Cobra meeting. The senior figure added: “My message to them, even now, is please call them off."

He added: “The fair and reasonable thing for the unions to do – particularly in a time when winter is biting, we’re suffering from the consequences of Ukraine and indeed the Covid situation – is to call off those strikes, give families a break, particularly over winter time.”

Scotland’s first minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon urged Rishi Sunak to follow the example of her government in helping settle public sector pay disputes.

Strikes by ambulance staff and some NHS workers in Scotland were called off on Monday after members of Unite and Unison voted to accept the Scottish government’s most recent pay deal – an average rise of 7.5 per cent.

“We have not, unlike counterparts elsewhere, held back in these disputes,” she said. “I would make a plea to the UK government today to get round the table with these workers in order to see these issues resolved.”

Nursing strikes in Wales will go ahead after last-minute talks on Monday between the RCN, other unions and the Welsh government aimed at ending the dispute over pay collapsed.

Meanwhile, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) announced that members will now press ahead with two 48-hour strikes at Network Rail – and 14 train companies – from Tuesday and Friday.

Hopes of a major breakthrough in the rail dispute have been shattered after Network Rail workers rejected a pay offer. The RMT said 63.6 per cent voted to reject Network Rail’s offer on an 83 per cent turnout.