Nurses and ambulance drivers should drop their demands for pay rises to match soaring inflation to “send a clear message” to Vladimir Putin, a cabinet minister says.
Nadhim Zahawi switched tack in the battle to avert pre-Christmas NHS strikes by claiming they would reveal a “divided” UK when a united front is needed over Russia’s “illegal war”.
“This is a time to come together and to send a very clear message to Mr Putin that we’re not going to be divided in this way,” the Tory party chair said.
Union leaders say an improved pay offer for nurses, similar to that made in Scotland, could help break the deadlock, accusing the health secretary Steve Barclay of refusing to even discuss the issue.
The Royal College of Nursing is planning to strike on 15 and 20 December. Only five areas of care will be protected: chemotherapy, critical care, dialysis, paediatric intensive care and neonatal.
Mr Zahawi said the military is being trained to drive ambulances if necessary, as well as to staff border posts in a worsening winter of discontent.
“I think people need to remember that Putin is using energy as a weapon, because he’s failing so badly in his illegal war on Ukraine,” he told Sky News – blaming it for high inflation.
He warned that chasing higher pay would “embed inflation for longer and hurt the most vulnerable, adding: “Our message to the unions is to say, ‘this is not a time to strike, this is time to try and negotiate’.”
On the nurses’ strikes, the party chair told the BBC: “They should reflect on this because that is exactly what Putin wants to see – that division. Let’s not divide, let’s come together.”
But Royal College of Nursing general secretary and chief executive, Pat Cullen, dismissed the call and said using Russia’s war in Ukraine as a justification for a real-terms pay cut for nurses was a “new low for this government”.
“The public does not believe this kind of rhetoric and wants ministers to address our dispute,” she said.
“Nursing staff cannot afford their food and other bills and still fear the worst on energy this winter.”
The government’s offer to health service workers is capped at 3 per cent, following the recommendations of the independent NHS pay review body.
Leaders of the RCN and Unison have hinted a deal similar to that offered in Scotland – between 5 per cent and 11 per cent depending on staff grades – could deliver progress in talks.
Mr Zahawi said the government is putting contingency plans in place to try to minimise disruption to the public from the wave of public sector strikes.
“It is the right and responsible thing to do to have contingency plans in place,” he said, referring to putting the military in ambulances and on borders.
“We are looking at the military, we are looking at a specialist response force which we have actually set up a number of years ago.
“We have to make sure are borders are always secure and that is something we guarantee. Things like driving ambulances and other parts of the public sector – we have got to try and minimise disruption.”
