- Wales TUC warns that the future of the NHS cannot be taken for granted on the 75th anniversary of its creation
- It highlights union calls for pay restoration, which Welsh Government has committee to in principle
- Trade unions are marking the anniversary of the creation of the NHS with a march and rally in Aneurin Bevan’s hometown of Tredegar
Trade unions are today [Sunday 2 July 2023] marking the 75th anniversary of the creation of the NHS in Aneurin Bevan’s birthplace, Tredegar.
Union leaders from health, education and rail are among those joining the parade through the town which will pass the Tredegar Medical Aid Society, the inspiration for the NHS, as well as Aneurin Bevan’s birthplace.
Speaking at the rally in Bedwellty Park, Wales TUC General Secretary Shavannah Taj will highlight the crucial role which the NHS workforce plays in delivering the service and pay tribute to their dedication, including during the pandemic. A plaque will be erected on Bedwellty House to thank the NHS workforce on behalf of trade union members across Wales.
She will also highlight how health workers’ trade unions are campaigning for pay restoration to at least 2008 levels. Unions have consistently highlighted that there is a staff retention crisis within the NHS, with many workers citing burnout as the reason why they are leaving.
Recent analysis by the GMB union reveals the crisis in pay across the public sector. The number of public sector workers claiming Universal Credit in Wales has increased by 167 percent since 2019. These staggering figures lay bare the hardship many public sector workers are facing.
In the recent pay negotiations for NHS Agenda for Change workers in Wales, Welsh Government committed to the principle of pay restoration to 2008 levels, and to working in social partnershp to make practical plans to meet this aim – including influencing the UK Government and the Pay Review Body, which advises government on the NHS pay award.
Wales TUC General Secretary Shavanah Taj said: “As we mark the 75th year of the NHS, it’s future is nowhere near certain. After more than a decade of austerity, it feels as though we are clinging on to Bevan’s vision for a free and universal health service.
“When I spoke to NHS workers on picket lines over the last year, it was shocking to hear how many are considering leaving the service for good after years of feeling undervalued and overstretched.
“The idea of pay restoration to at least 2008 levels is now widespread amongst the workforce and their unions – recognising that NHS workers like so many others have had a real terms pay cut over the last decade or so.
“We won’t have an NHS without the workers that deliver it. Without sustained investment and a plan for pay restoration, there is a real risk that the health service will not exist as we know it for future generations.”
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