Josie Irwin Head of Employment Relations Royal College of Nursing

Context: employment issues Pay freeze NHS Pay Review Body Attacks on public sector pensions Budget/job cuts Increasing competitive tendering Attacks on AfC Skill mix reviews Attacks on TU facilities Employer action on sickness and capability Productivity Fragmentation

More context - working lives 2009 Employment Survey –44% consider pay not appropriate for role –61% said workload was too heavy –54% too busy to give the care theyd like to –55% under too much pressure –55% said staffing inadequate –42% said short staffing compromises patient care once or twice per week –Increase in job moves due to stress 31% (23% 07) –CPD about the same as 2007 but this was a big drop from previous years; 61% had appraisal –Nurses in the NHS feel less valued

Staff Side responses Engagement with DH re pay & pensions Engagement with Hutton review Campaigning to protect jobs – Frontline First Exchanging information Partnership - kept the SPF (England), embed locally Developing approach to productivity Strengthened Staff Council

RCN responses Frontline first MRC task & finish group on pay strategy Redundancy Q&A and info template Module 3 bespoke CPD workshops Prioritise recruitment and retention of reps

Challenges Information and communication Possible tensions between unions Gung ho managers Managing expectations Public opinion