Health visitors working for the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTMUHB) have written an open letter to the First Minister of Wales, urging the Plaid Cymru-led government to resolve a protracted pay dispute that has led staff to take industrial action since February.
Staff say roles wrongly banded, losing thousands each year
Members of Unite, the union representing the affected health visitors, say their jobs have been evaluated as equivalent to a Band 7 role but are being paid at Band 6. The union estimates the discrepancy is costing individual staff between £8,000 and £9,000 a year.
Health visitors rejected an offer from the health board earlier this month described in staff communications as a one-off payment of £5,000, which they called "shocking and insulting". The board has maintained that a recent job evaluation left the posts at Band 6 and said it does not believe Unite has acted in the best interests of staff or service users.
"We want to help serve our communities, to help new parents and children be healthy and safe. We do not want to take strike action, but the refusal to pay us correctly left us no choice."
Political and service implications
The dispute has clear implications for community health services. Health visitors provide preventive support and early intervention for families with young children; sustained industrial action risks disruption to those services at community and clinic level. The union and staff say their priority is to continue supporting families but that the pay issue must be resolved to sustain the workforce.
CTMUHB’s public position, as set out in its communications, is that the job descriptions were re-evaluated and remain at Band 6. The board told Nursing in Practice that it does not believe Unite’s approach has been in the best interests of mothers, fathers, families and young children who rely on the health visiting service.
What the dispute involves
- Health visitors at CTMUHB have been striking since February.
- Unite contends the roles are equivalent to Band 7 and that workers are underpaid by £8,000–£9,000 annually.
- The health board offered a one-off payment of £5,000, which was rejected by staff.
- Staff have written an open letter to First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth calling for government intervention.
| Claim | Figure |
|---|---|
| Estimated annual underpayment per staff member (Union) | £8,000–£9,000 |
| One-off pay offer from health board | £5,000 |
The dispute highlights wider tensions over pay, job evaluation and workforce retention across health services. Where job evaluation processes and pay-banding disagree, the consequences can include industrial action, staff demoralisation and potential gaps in service provision. Resolving such disputes typically requires either further job evaluation, arbitration or political intervention when local agreement cannot be reached.
Limits of the available information
Key facts in the public record are limited to the positions of the parties and the figures cited by the union and the board. There has been no independent publication of the detailed job-evaluation reports in the material provided to the press. The health board says the job description was re-evaluated and remains at Band 6; Unite says the NHS job evaluation system supports Band 7. Without the evaluation documentation it is not possible to independently verify which band is correct.
Unite’s regional officer, Paul Seppman, characterised the industrial action as a last resort after the health board allegedly refused to pay fairly. The staff say they have faced public criticism from their employer for rejecting the pay-off, but remain determined to secure the re-banding they believe they are owed.
The open letter to the First Minister seeks government action to end the dispute and ensure affected workers receive what they say is the correct salary. Any resolution will need to balance the job-evaluation evidence, the health board’s staffing budgets and the potential impact on families who rely on health visiting services.
As the dispute continues, national and Welsh Government officials may be asked to mediate or provide guidance to avoid further disruption to a service that plays a role in early childhood public health.
