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Ex-MP urges Plaid Minister to act consistently and ensure health visitors win pay dispute

24 Jul 2026 4 minute read

Beth Winter. Photo Aaron Chown PA Wire/PA Images

Martin Shipton

Former Welsh Labour MP Beth Winter has called on the Plaid Cymru Welsh Government to act in line with a position it took three months ago and tell a health board to settle a long-running strike.

In April, Ms Winter, who was the MP for Cynon Valley from 2019 to 2024, wrote a joint letter with Plaid leader Rhun ap Iorwerth and Wales Green Party leader Anthony Slaughter urging Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board to raise the pay of around 100 health visitors, who have been on strike since February.

The health visitors maintain they are underpaid and that they should be on Band 7 instead of Band 6 in the NHS pay structure.

The letter signed by Rhun ap Iorwerth called specifically for the upgrade to take place.

But the health board has not changed its position, and a recent ballot organised by the Unite union saw 93% of those voting supporting a further year of strike action.

Now, in a letter to Plaid’s Cabinet Minister for Health Mabon ap Gwynfor, Ms Winter has stated: “I am concerned at the lack of action by our new Plaid government in relation to the health visitors employed by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, who this week enter their fifth month of strike action for fair pay.

“On April 17 2026 – only three months ago, your then leader, and now First Minister, Rhun ap Iorwerth signed a letter clearly supporting their cause and calling for action to pay them at the correct pay scale. This letter was also signed by the leader of the Green Party in Wales and by myself.

“If the justice of their cause was recognised in April, then it surely must be recognised and acted on now. I would add that promoting support for striking workers when in opposition and then not acting on that support when in government is not a good look. I accept that the converse is true: turning up to stand in support of health visitors now, as some Labour politicians are doing, following total inaction while in government is ironic in the extreme!

“But, knowing your principled position on so many issues I would be surprised if you would wish to be seen in the same light.

“It seems that the Welsh Government does have powers to act in these circumstances, and this prolonged strike action by health visitors for a just increase in their pay is extremely hurtful and damaging to them and to the people they serve.

“If Plaid in government wants to be respected for doing things differently, then I urge you to take action to remedy this situation. If this means that all health visitors in Wales receive their just pay scale level, then that is what should happen. It would be a shining example of your government’s determination to support the rights of workers in Wales.

“It adds insult to injury to see the local health board’s chief negotiator being awarded a £30,000 pay increase per annum on top of an already inflated salary of over £200,000.

“The Welsh Government urgently needs to grasp the nettle on this or it will quickly lose credibility with the electorate. Buck passing between the Welsh Government and local health boards or local authorities as well as party politicking and point scoring (even between progressives) is infuriating and has become too easy a way out of making the right decisions for the people of Wales. This must stop.

‘Decisive action’

“Plaid in government taking decisive action to end this kind of behaviour will be an example to us all of being prepared to do politics differently and will earn the respect of the staff and the communities being served.”

The Welsh Government has stated: “The Cabinet Minister for Health has discussed the current situation with the chair of the Cwm Taf Health Board and also Unite and has been clear that this regrettable situation should not have occurred in the first place.

“He expects both parties to get back round the table to find a solution to the ongoing dispute.”

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