You may have heard that Unite, the trade union, is asking its NHS members in Northern Ireland to vote for industrial action, which may include strike action, over the Government’s imposed three-year pay offer.

Some of you may be asking: “Why, at this time of turmoil, is the largest union in the country asking its health sector members to vote ‘Yes’ for industrial action in the run-up to Christmas?”

In Northern Ireland, Health Service staff have faced massive upheaval through the Review of Public Administration, followed by a 3% cut in the health budget as part of the comprehensive spending review over the next three years. Also, the three-year pay cut does little for morale among Health Service staff.

The NHS is a wonderful organisation, the envy of many other countries, including 50 million Americans who cannot afford any form of health insurance.

But to achieve this admirable standard of excellence and care, 365 days a year, requires a fair reward to retain the skills that the many health professionals, maintenance staff and ancillary workers bring to their jobs.

Years of constant restructuring, high cost PFI projects and expensive external management consultants have eaten up more than their fair share of money that should have been better spent improving patient care, including rewarding low wage staff.

That is, in large part, why our members voted by a massive 95% margin in the summer to reject the unilateral action of the Government to impose, yes impose, a three-year pay deal on NHS staff worth a total of 7.99% — half the current rate of inflation which is running at 5.2%.

That works out at a meagre 2.5% or so per year until 2010 — in effect a three-year pay cut for some of the lowest paid workers in the country and those hit hardest by spiralling prices for food and fuel.

Our members are not asking for the moon, but we are asking for a wage rise in line with inflation.

Each year, the pay of NHS staff is reviewed by the independent Pay Review Body (PRB). For the current financial year (2008-9) a pay award of 2.75%, half the inflation rate, was recommended. The Government did not allow our members to vote whether to accept this recommendation, instead they imposed their own three-year pay deal against the wishes of Unite and many other unions and professional associations

So what’s the point of having an independent PRB if its recommendations are ignored? No wonder our members are angry.

Ministers argue that public sector pay fuels inflation.

This is simply not the case, as most reputable economists point out. Our members are responsible neither for the global increases in energy and food prices, nor the excessive financial rewards pocketed by the bankers in of the City of London.

We have written to Health Minister Michael McGimpsey and his counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Westminster for talks, but to no avail.

Our members feel they have no other option now but to ballot for strike action.

NHS workers should receive a freely negotiated pay award in recognition for their skills — expertise which is dedicated to the care of patients and clients on a daily basis.

Our members — from pharmacists to plumbers — chose to dedicate their working lives to the NHS. They now feel aggrieved that this lifetime of professionalism is being abused.

Whatever action is taken, patient care will be paramount. We know the Northern Ireland public values the NHS, they also understand that upholding the NHS we love so dearly and depend on so much means retaining high quality staff.

Our members deserve a living wage.

And the Northern Ireland public deserves nothing less than the best motivated staff striving hard to maintain one of the world’s great institutions.

Kevin McAdam is the regional lead officer for Unite the Union in Northern Ireland.