The GMB and the RCN unions say they will not call strikes while pay negotiations are being held.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe threat of widespread strike action in Scotland’s NHS has been put on hold.
BBC Scotland understands the GMB and Royal College of Nursing will not call strikes while negotiations take place on the 2023 pay offer.
If a deal is reached, the pay rise would be backdated to January.
Negotiations are likely to take several weeks and the unions still have a mandate to call members out on strike if they are unsuccessful.
It follows talks yesterday with Scotland’s health secretary Humza Yousaf.
The three unions with mandates to strike are the GMB, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).
They said they would now enter an “intensive period of negotiations” on the 2023 pay deal.
They all rejected the 2022 pay offer which was worth around 7.5% on average. But it was accepted by others including Unison and Unite.
‘Good faith’
Thursday’s meeting produced new proposals aimed at ending the long-running pay dispute affecting staff in NHS Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS).
GMB Scotland senior organiser Keir Greenaway said: “GMB is prepared to engage in good faith with the Scottish government on fresh proposals to resolve this dispute.”
He said that negotiations would start next week.
Mr Greenaway added that Mr Yousaf had made a commitment to effectively backdate the value of any agreed terms for 2023-24 to January, with the deal fully implemented by April.
The GMB, RCN and RCM could still go on strike if the talks prove unsuccessful.