Ruth Langsford discusses Eamonn Holmes' care for his lawn
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This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes, 61, has aimed a furious tweet at the UK government for their “paltry” NHS pay rise proposal. The star shared an article about 300,000 NHS staff taking on unpaid overtime during the coronavirus pandemic, while they only get a one per cent salary increase.
Eamonn then penned in view of his one million Twitter followers: “If u r an #NHS worker heading to your job, please believe we ARE indebted and we did mean it when we clapped.(sic)
“It’s not u who are making this paltry pay percentage an issue, it’s Government by adhering to it – not just embarrassing, it’s insulting. #nhspayrise.”
Fans took to the comments section of Eamonn’s tweet to weigh in on the controversial proposal from the government.
One person argued: “No one is ssying they’re not worth more.(sic)
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“Many people deserve decent pay rises, but we can’t afford to pay more! ‘UK borrowing hits £19.1bn for February, as total debt reaches £2.13 trillion’.”
However, Eamonn hit back: “Look at the rubbish they fund elsewhere….. these people saved lives.
“Practical appreciation, encouraging people to work in the NHS needs to be visible.”
An NHS worker agreed with the ITV star, writing: “Thanks Eamonn..a lot of us feel very demoralised..even disposable due to the lack of effective PPE we have to use to nurse Covid-19 patients..it’s nice to have your support.”
“Absolutely …. it’s about Authority just doing the right thing,” Eamonn replied.
Another NHS staff member added: “Thank you, we don’t want any more than the rest of Britain, just a fair pay rise in line with inflation.”
A third fan penned: “It shouldn’t even be up for debate! Pay these selfless, front line workers a wage that reflects the vital service they provide.”
Eamonn’s tweet comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock insisted the government’s proposed one per cent salary increase for NHS staff is a “pay rise” and not a real-terms cut, despite concerns about the forecast inflation of 1.5 per cent.
The nurses’ union has also set up a multi-million pound strike fund in a warning of potential industrial action in light of the government’s proposal.
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Mr Hancock said: “I am a huge fan of and supporter of the workforce right across the NHS who have done an incredible job through the pandemic, absolutely extraordinary.
“The NHS was carved out of the pay freeze that has been applied due to the enormous pressure on the public finances, that has been applied to everyone else in the public sector.
“We put in place evidence reflecting what is affordable and we of course will study what the pay review body says.”
He added in response to backlash about inflation: added: “Inflation is below one per cent and therefore a proposed one per cent pay rise is indeed a pay rise and that’s simply a matter of fact.”
The NHS Pay Review Body will consider the Government’s proposed 1 per cent offer, and submissions from unions, before making a recommendation in May.
A Government spokesperson said: “We are incredibly grateful for the heroic efforts of staff across the health sector who are working tirelessly on the frontline of this pandemic.
“Over one million NHS staff continue to benefit from multi-year pay deals agreed with trade unions, which have delivered a pay rise of over 12 per cent for newly qualified nurses and will increase junior doctors’ pay scales by 8.2 per cent.
“Pay rises in the rest of the public sector will be paused this year due to the challenging economic environment, but we will continue to provide pay rises for NHS workers, on top of a £513 million investment in professional development and increased recruitment. That’s with record numbers of doctors and 10,600 more nurses working in our NHS, and with nursing university applications up by over a third.
“The independent pay review bodies will report in late spring and we will consider their recommendations carefully when we receive them.”
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