Nurses pay is set to rise

Delegates at Unison's annual conference for health workers in Harrogate were asked to reject the deal which is called "Agenda for Change".

But the union's executive, which spent four years negotiating the package with the government, persuaded the conference to vote instead to hold a ballot next month on whether to accept the new pay system in the 12 pilot sites only.

There will then be a further ballot in a years time to decide whether it should be rolled out across the NHS.

Agenda for Change will increase wages for the majority of NHS staff by just over 3% a year for the next three years.

In return health workers will be asked to accept changes to working practices and a simpler pay structure.

Unison activists say it appears some staff will lose out. The government has promised interim arrangements to ensure no-one is worse off but the activists don't believe them.

We could actually be looking at long-term entrenchment of low pay in the health service Geoff Martin

Adrian O'Malley, from the Wakefield and Pontefract Hospitals Branch of Unison, told the BBC: "Those that are directly affected are very bitter and angry.

"At our hospital switchboard staff have told me that if this comes in they will go on strike

"I know for a fact that will apply to a lot more people. We just cannot go ahead with this scheme as it is at the moment."

Geoff Martin, convenor of the London Unison section, said the scheme would effectively result in a pay cut this year due to the combined effects of inflation, and rises in council tax and national insurance.

In addition, there was a risk that accepting a 3.2% rise in the following two years was fraught with risk.

"Nobody knows what inflation is going to be. We could actually be looking at long-term entrenchment of low pay in the health service."