Nurses must drop pay demands to ‘send clear message to Putin’, cabinet minister says

Nurses and ambulance drivers are helping Vladimir Putin in his assault on Ukraine by demanding big pay rises, a cabinet minister has said. The comments triggered widespread ridicule.

Nadhim Zahawi switched tack in the battle to avert pre-Christmas NHS strikes by claiming that the industrial action would expose a “divided” UK when a united front is needed over Russia’s “illegal war”.

“This is a time to come together and to send a very clear message to Mr Putin that we’re not going to be divided in this way,” said the Tory party chair.

Referring to those taking part in the strikes, Mr Zahawi added: “They should reflect on this because that is exactly what Putin wants to see – that division. Let’s not divide, let’s come together.”

The comments were condemned by union leaders including the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, Pat Cullen, who said: “Using Russia’s war in Ukraine as a justification for a real-terms pay cut for nurses in the UK is a new low for this government.

“The public does not believe this kind of rhetoric and wants ministers to address our dispute.”

Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “Another multimillionaire government minister has chosen to attack ordinary workers whose only crime has been to refuse to take a pay cut. Nadhim Zahawi’s allegation that Britain’s nurses, ambulance drivers and teachers are allies of Vladimir Putin is as ridiculous as it is disgraceful.”

Members of the RCN are planning to strike on 15 and 20 December. Only five areas of care will be protected: chemotherapy, critical care, dialysis, paediatric intensive care and neonatal care.

Mr Zahawi said members of the military are being trained to drive ambulances if necessary, as well as to staff border posts, in a worsening winter of discontent.

“I think people need to remember that Putin is using energy as a weapon, because he’s failing so badly in his illegal war on Ukraine,” he told Sky News.

He warned that chasing higher pay would “embed inflation for longer and hurt the most vulnerable”, adding: “Our message to the unions is to say, this is not a time to strike: this is a time to try and negotiate.”

The government’s offer to health service workers is capped at 3 per cent, following the recommendations of the independent NHS pay review body. Union leaders say an improved pay offer, similar to that made in Scotland, could help to break the deadlock, accusing the health secretary Steve Barclay of refusing even to discuss the issue.

But Mr Zahawi said the government is working on a back-up plan to try to minimise disruption over the Christmas period.

“It is the right and responsible thing to do to have contingency plans in place,” he said. “We are looking at the military, we are looking at a specialist response force which we have actually set up a number of years ago.

“We have to make sure our borders are always secure, and that is something we guarantee. Things like driving ambulances and other parts of the public sector – we have got to try and minimise disruption.”