HEALTHCARE workers in Worcestershire and throughout the county will stage protests tomorrow against government plans to deny 60 per cent of NHS staff a pay rise.

Members of UNISON – the UK’s biggest public sector trade union – will hold protests outside hospitals and other workplaces against government plans to offer a one per cent rise only to staff at the top of their pay scale.

The union’s head of health Christina McAnea said she hoped the 400,000 UNISON members working in the health sector would back the protest. “Members don’t take action often or easily, but this time it feels that we have no choice,” she said.

“We want to use this day to build support for a resounding yes vote when we ballot for strike action.

“Our members in the NHS tell us they are demoralised, overworked and undervalued. And we also know that a demotivated workforce is bad for patients.”

She added the average NHS employee had effectively seen their pay cut by 10 per cent since the coalition government came to power.

“Our members are among those hit hard by the state of the economy, the rise in the cost of food and fuel, coupled with housing and benefit cuts,” she said.

“It is a national disgrace that working people have to rely on benefits, food banks or resort to payday loans at exorbitant interest rates to make ends meet.”

As your Worcester News went to press the West Midlands office of UNISON could not be contacted to confirm whether or not any protests would be held in Worcestershire.