Union Warns of Potential Strikes as Northern Ireland Health Workers Await Pay Award

London, United Kingdom Aug 26, 2026 ALN: A senior union official has warned of a looming “winter of discontent” if commitments on a pay award to health workers made by former minister Mike Nesbitt are not honoured by his successor.

Patrick Mulholland of Nipsa said the union would start balloting members in the coming days with early October earmarked as the beginning of potential strike action.

Mr. Mulholland stated that in addition to the issue of pay, Nipsa also had “deep concern” about proposed cuts to health spending.

The UK-wide pay review body recommended a 3.3% uplift for health and social care staff, effective from April.

Leadership Changes and Unfulfilled Promises

Mr. Nesbitt, who has been succeeded as health minister by Ulster Unionist colleague Robbie Butler after resigning last week, said he was committed to honouring the pay review body’s recommendations and restoring pay parity for health service staff.

However, the Executive’s failure to agree on a budget meant his promise was never fulfilled.

Consultants and specialist doctors have already taken part in industrial action over pay.

They have yet to receive the pay review body’s recommended uplift for this year of 3.5%.

Union's Position and Future Actions

A communique to Nipsa members last week said the union understood the Executive parties were “still seeking to improve the Treasury allocation before a budget can be agreed.”

Mr. Mulholland told The Irish News that the unions “had engaged in good faith” but that the outcome to date was “unsatisfactory.”

“We are now starting to crank up the process of moving to industrial action on pay and in relation to proposed cuts,” he said.

“We will co-ordinate with our fellow unions on an agreed course of action, but we can’t rule out a winter of discontent in the health service.”

The Nipsa deputy general secretary emphasized that if the Executive was not able to secure adequate additional funds from the Treasury, they should “consciously go over budget.”

“Obviously, we would like to see more money secured by the local administration as we have been arguing for a long time that Northern Ireland is significantly under-funded in terms of need compared to Scotland and Wales,” he said.

“But if further funding is not forthcoming, then ministers must be prepared to go beyond their spending limits as they have done in the past.”

Nursing Staff's Concerns

On Wednesday, the Royal College of Nursing warned that industrial action, including strike action, “could be imminent as nursing staff continue to be denied a pay award already given to colleagues in other parts of the UK.”

The RCN’s governing Council has approved the “next steps towards a statutory ballot for industrial action,” they said in a statement.

Professor Rita Devlin, Executive Director of the RCN in Northern Ireland, expressed frustration: “For the third year running, nursing staff in Northern Ireland find themselves in the unacceptable position of having to fight for a pay award that has already been delivered to colleagues across the rest of the UK. Once again, our members are being asked to wait while political leaders fail to deliver what they are entitled to receive.”

“Despite clear support from the previous Health Minister for this award to be implemented, the Northern Ireland Executive’s failure to secure a budget has once again denied nursing staff a pay award. This is being felt most acutely by those already facing rising household bills and sustained cost-of-living pressures. With no award in place to offset inflation, nursing staff are effectively experiencing a real-terms pay cut.”

“Year upon year, we have said that it is not unreasonable to expect a pay award to be planned and delivered on time, but year upon year, this simply doesn’t happen in Northern Ireland. The fact that we may now end up on picket lines just to get the pay award that has been recommended and agreed is nothing short of a farce.”

“This pay uplift barely covers the rising cost of living, yet we still cannot get it paid. We are approaching an Assembly election next year, and those working in the health service need to make their voices heard. It is incredible that this same situation is repeated every year and is certainly not reflective of a system that is working.”

“The anger amongst the nursing community that this has been allowed to happen again is palpable. Nursing staff, who have shown unwavering commitment to patients and services through some of the most challenging years the health service has ever faced, deserve better than this cycle of delay, uncertainty, and broken promises.”

“Industrial action is never our preferred option. However, if it is the only way to secure the pay award nursing staff have earned and are owed, we will not hesitate to take action.”

A statement from the Department of Health indicated that its ability to implement the pay awards “will be dependent on the outcome of the Executive securing additional funding from the UK government.”