Nursing union ballots for strike action over Northern Ireland pay delays

Summarised from 3 outlets · 4 reports · Updated 14 Oct, 00:28 · Archive

The Royal College of Nursing in Northern Ireland has opened a ballot for strike action after nursing staff remain without a pay award.

The Royal College of Nursing in Northern Ireland has opened a ballot for industrial action and strike action among nursing staff employed in Health and Social Care. The ballot follows months of delay in delivering a pay award despite commitments from former Health Minister Mike Nesbitt to implement it.

The NHS Pay Review Body recommended a 3.3 per cent pay increase for staff across all pay bands. Nursing staff and healthcare workers in England and Wales have already received their award, but their counterparts in Northern Ireland remain without it due to ongoing political deadlock over Northern Ireland's budget.

Eligible members have until Friday, 20 November 2026, to return their ballot papers. They are being urged to vote in support of both action short of strike and full strike action.

Professor Rita Devlin, Executive Director of the RCN in Northern Ireland, described the situation as 'despicable'. She said: 'It is despicable that, year after year, nursing staff in Northern Ireland are forced to fight for a pay award that colleagues elsewhere in the UK receive as a matter of course.' She added that strike action was 'always a last resort', but questioned why Northern Ireland was expected to accept what governments in England, Scotland or Wales would not allow their health service staff to endure.

How it is being reported

• Nursing union opens ballot for industrial action in Northern IrelandBelfast Telegraph · 14 Oct, 00:01
• Nursing union opens ballot on strike action over ‘despicable’ failure to deliver pay awardNI Director Rita Devlin said the action was ‘always a last resort’Belfast Telegraph · 14 Oct, 00:01
• Nursing union to be balloted for strike action over failure to deliver pay awardDespite commitments from former Health Minister Mike Nesbitt to implement the award, ongoing political deadlock over Northern Ireland's budget has left thousands of frontline healthcare workers once again waiting for the pay they are owed.Belfast Live · 14 Oct, 00:00
• Royal College of Nursing ballots members in Northern Ireland for strike action over pay award delaysThe Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Northern Ireland has today opened a ballot for industrial action and strike action following what it says is the continued failure to deliver a pay award for staff.News Letter · 13 Oct, 20:44

In this story: Royal College of Nursing · Northern Ireland · Mike Nesbitt · Rita Devlin · England · Wales

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