Prince William and Kate Middleton who met at St Andrew's University will be married on April 29th. But NHS workers in England want bonus pay
While millions are looking forward to the Royal Wedding this April, there will be little reason to cheer for NHS workers in England.
Not only will thousands be expected to work the public holiday - most have been told not to expect any extra pay.
The Royal College of Nursing has condemned the approach, which differs from the rest of the UK.
Administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have confirmed that they will pay staff enhanced rates.
However, NHS Employers on behalf of employers in England have reaffirmed their position that staff who work the public holiday - Friday, April 29 - will be expected to work for a normal rate.
Many private companies do not pay increased wages to staff who work bank holidays and simply give a day in lieu.
However Josie Irwin, head of employment relations at the RCN, described the move as‘very unfair.’
'Most people in England will have a day off and those who work will mostly be paid bank holiday rates,' she says.
'All the NHS trade unions regard the employers’ position as very mean-spirited and we will be preparing joint union advice with the other NHS trade unions.'
The day of the royal wedding was declared a public holiday by Prime Minister David Cameron.
Unison said health staff would normally get time plus 60 per cent and a day in lieu for bank holiday working.
However, the Department of Health said it was up to each local trust to decide whether to pay over time.
So while NHS Scotland has agreed to normal public holiday arrangements, many English hospitals including Solihull, Birmingham, Lancashire and Norfolk, plan to treat it as a normal working day.
Mike Jackson of Unison said: 'The governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and now some hospital trusts in England, have agreed to pay staff at bank holiday rates. We expect fairness across the whole of the NHS.
'NHS Employers are further hitting morale at a time when there is not much for staff to celebrate. They face a two-year pay freeze as well as swingeing job cuts– it is not much to ask that they be paid what they are entitled to.'
Unison met NHS Employers on February 25 for talks over royal wedding day payment rates but they could not reach a consensus.
Rehana Azam GMB National Officer said 'GMB’s 30,000 health service members in England will be disgusted that the NHS employers will not treat the Royal Wedding day as a public holiday for calculating the pay of the staff who have to keep our NHS running when most people will be enjoying the celebrations.
'Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and many NHS Trusts are already paying up in full but it seems the NHS employers in England want to spoil the great day by having hospital staff in on the cheap.'
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