Striking health visitors reject £5,000 offer to end pay dispute

Mark Mansfield

Health visitors who have been on strike for six months have overwhelmingly rejected a one-off payment of more than £5,000 aimed at ending a long-running dispute over their pay and grading.

Around 100 health visitors employed by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board have been taking continuous industrial action since February, with Unite claiming some are being underpaid by as much as £9,000 a year.

The dispute centres on whether the workers should be employed at NHS Band 6 or Band 7 following a job evaluation process.

Unite said 99% of those voting rejected the health board’s latest proposal, which would have provided a one-off payment of more than £5,000 rather than changing their salary band. The payment would have been subject to tax and other deductions.

The health board said the payment would have been made to every one of its health visitors on top of their existing Band 6 salary, which can reach £48,117 a year.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is an utterly ludicrous offer from a health board that has lost all credibility.

“Its own internal job evaluation said its health visitors should be on a higher pay band, the Welsh government has called on it to honour that and yet it chooses to just insult our members with a pathetically low, one-off lump sum.

“All the health board has done is further incense these incredibly brave and courageous women who will not back down until they are paid what they are owed.”

The dispute has significantly reduced the number of health visitor appointments available across Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Between March and May 2025, 6,140 visits were carried out. During the same three months this year, while the strike was under way, that fell to 909.

The previous Welsh Government health minister Jeremy Miles instructed the health board to honour the job evaluation process, while First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth signed an open letter before taking office calling for Band 6 health visitors to be upgraded to Band 7.

Unite regional officer Paul Seppman renewed the union’s call for the health board’s director of people, Hywel Daniel, to resign.

He said: “Our members want to return to work but won’t do so until they are being paid the correct salary. They continue to have the complete backing of Unite in this dispute.”

‘Disappointed’

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board said it was disappointed its proposal had been rejected and argued accepting it would have ended the strike.

A health board statement said: “We do not believe that Unite acted in the best interests of our health visitors nor in the best interests of mothers, fathers and young children who rely upon the health visiting service.

“Whilst we consider the next steps, our working colleagues in health visiting, nursing, and midwifery will continue to work hard and flexibly to maintain essential services. We remain extremely grateful to them and to families for their ongoing understanding.”

The health board has previously said a single point of access has been established to provide families with advice and support during the industrial action, with inquiries typically answered within two hours.

The Welsh Government has said the dispute “should not have occurred in the first place”, while Health Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor has held talks with health board chairman Jonathan Morgan and called for both sides to return to negotiations.

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