Crunch talks over pay continue between health unions and Northern Ireland Department of Health

Health unions spent Monday afternoon locked in continuing discussions with the Department of Health in a bid to resolve the current pay dispute.

Although the discussions have been deemed positive by some unions, talks are still set to continue.

The Department of Health offered a 3.6% pay rise from 1 October, with further increases next year. The offer was rejected by health unions on the grounds that the payment would not be backdated to April like it was for colleagues in other parts of the UK.Unions had warned that members will be balloted on industrial action if the pay deal falls short of full parity with health workers in England, Scotland and Wales.

Unite and NPSA have said that they will still go ahead and ballot their members for industrial action while discussions and negotiations continue.In a statement, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said that his department will ‘continue to work in good faith with health unions and professional bodies’ in a bid to find a resolution.

Catch up with the latest UTV Live on ITVX

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.