Question Time: Kwarteng grilled by Bruce over NHS pay rise
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The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said it is supporting industrial action after a one percent pay rise force NHS nurses was proposed. The union described the increase as "pitiful" and demanded a 12.5 percent increase.
It has agreed to set up a £35million "industrial action fund" to support members for loss of income during a strike.
Unite, which represents tens of thousands of NHS workers, is also warning of industrial action.
But speaking at a televised coronavirus briefing tonight, Health Secretary calls on NHS workers to refuse to entertain the unions' threats.
He said: "What I'd say to every nurse who is watching and everybody who has worked so hard is, we have over this pandemic pulled together in an incredible way.
VOTE IN OUT POLL ON NHS NURSES PAY RISES
© PAMatt Hancock has urged nurses to continue to pull together
"I really hope we can continue doing that, both to deliver for patients, and also to support our NHS, and to welcome many, many more nurses into the NHS in the years ahead."
He added that while nurses would receive a pay rise this year, other public sector workers, including teachers and police officers would see their pay frozen.
Mr Hancock said: "Whilst everybody else in the public sector is going to have a pay freeze, we are able to propose a pay rise for nurses - at one percent I entirely appreciate - that reflects the difficult financial circumstances that the country is in."
His intervention came after the RCN said it has set up "the UK's largest union strike fund overnight" and was prepared to take action if the Government did not increase its offer.
The group said in a statement: "A strike fund is an amount of money that can be used to support workers, who are members of a trade union, to provide some compensation for loss of earnings and campaigning during industrial action.
"RCN council are determined to have the finances available to our members should they wish to take action.
"In setting up this fund, the RCN will create the UK's largest union strike fund overnight.
"The next steps will be decided in conjunction with our members."
Unite national officer for health, Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe, accused ministers of showing "an unyielding contempt" for health workers for failing to offer a larger pay increase.
It claimed the public was "rightly outraged" at the move and said it would consult with members about whether to take strike action.
More to follow...