Health workers submitted an 800,000-strong petition for an NHS pay rise to Downing Street Photo: Paul Mattsson

Health workers submitted an 800,000-strong petition for an NHS pay rise to Downing Street Photo: Paul Mattsson   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Hospital worker

Boris Johnson’s suggestion of a pay rise for HGV drivers to attract more workers into this essential job is very welcome. There are 100,000 vacancies in the NHS, and 120,000 vacancies for care workers, so it is about time the government gave us big pay rise too!

The NHS and care sector are on their knees. Health and care workers are facing financial disaster, as well as chronic understaffing that undermines patient care.

Even the 3% pay ‘rise’ many NHS staff got in September leaves them with less money in their pockets because of increased pension contributions, energy and other bills skyrocketing, and a Universal Credit cut of £20 a week. This is before they are asked to pay for the NHS and social care funding shortfall out of their own pockets, with the planned increase in National Insurance.

Between 2010 and 2021, NHS workers lost an average of 20% of their wages. It’s time for them to get that back and more. Strike action by health workers could force the government into yet another U-turn.

34.7% of all global tax losses were the responsibility of the UK and its overseas territories and crown dependencies in 2019 – $160 billion, according to the Tax Justice Network

8,950,963 nurses’ salaries could be paid by the tax losses of the world’s two worst tax offenders – the UK and British overseas territory, Cayman Islands