on the table, and they say that possibly other areas of the budget would have to be squeezed, and the nhs budget would have to be squeezed, are you comfortable with that? obviously, we are not comfortable that other areas will suffer, - if that is the actual fact or whether, you know, | but the pay rise we are asking for, and what members - would accept would not break the bank. we are not being greedy, the nurses themselves i dropped their demands from 19% to 9%. - all we want is a meaningful- discussion and enough pay to keep staff, more importantly retain staff so that they can - carry on working and have a full career. i can i ask as well, because the other unions postponed their strike, it does not mean they will not
the government says is a double digit pay rise in line with inflation is simply unaffordable, it is patient care that would suffer if that kind of pay award was made because it would have to come out of the nhs budget. because it would have to come out of the nhs budget- the nhs budget. quite simply, what is affectin: the nhs budget. quite simply, what is affecting patient the nhs budget. quite simply, what is affecting patient care the nhs budget. quite simply, what is affecting patient care at the nhs budget. quite simply, what is affecting patient care at the - is affecting patient care at the moment is the huge vacancy rate and the disengagement of nhs staff who have seen ten years of a fall in standard of living, and the idea that the nhs is not a special case, after the pandemic, when our members were working after the prime minister was being fined for attending parties, it seems incredulous to argue that this is not a special case that needs special attention. not a spe
ben zaranko, senior research economist at the institute for fiscal studies, says the pay claim lodged by the nurses comes at a time when the nhs budget is incredibly stretched. the first thing is that if you were going to give nurses a 19% pay rise, you would have to provide additional funding to the nhs to pay for that. that would mean, probably, higher taxes at some point, that is the thing the government is wrestling with, it seems to have been bumped up against the limits it is willing to raise the taxes, and that is why it is resisting calls for additional spending. it would also add demand to the economy, nurses being able to spend more, and it could act as a benchmark to which private sector employers, their workers, might start demanding something similar to the nurses. it might add somewhat to inflationary pressures towards the economy. of course, a lot would depend on the specifics.
that would mean, probably, higher taxes at some point, that is the thing the government is resting with, it seems to have been bumped up with, it seems to have been bumped up against the limits it is willing to raise the taxes, that is why it is resisting calls for additional spending. it would also add demand to the economy, nurses being able to spend more, could act as a benchmark to which the private sector employers, their workers, to which the private sector employers, theirworkers, might employers, their workers, might start employers, theirworkers, might start demanding something similar to the nurses. it might add somewhat to inflationary pressures towards the economy. of course a lot will depend on the specific. the main thing is what it would mean for the nhs budget. matthew taylor, chief executive of the nhs confederation joins us now. thank you forjoining us. i don t know if you could hear much of the previous casque, know if you could hear much of the previous casque, wha
i m not going to make promises i can t keep, plucking things out of thin air, but i would be prepared to negotiate if we were in government today, and i think that s the least we could expect. mr streeting has had his own run in with a health union, the bma, which accused him of attacking it in the sunday telegraph this morning. he has claimed the doctor s union treated him like a heretic for saying there should be better standards for patients. all sides say they don t want the nurses walk outs to go ahead but without the government agreeing to talk about pay they will be on the picket lines come thursday. this is of course just one of many strikes this month as the country faces a significantly disrupted december. helen catt, bbc news. ben zaranko, senior research economist at the institute for fiscal studies, says the pay claim lodged by the nurses comes at a time when the nhs budget is incredibly stretched. the first thing is that if you were going to give nurses a 19% pay rise y