Nurses and politicians have welcomed a move by the North's Minister for Health, Michael McGimpsey, to overturn a British direct rule decision and award their recommended pay rise immediately in full instead of in stages.
Northern Ireland nurses will receive a pay rise of 2.5 per cent backdated to April 1st, as was recommended in a UK independent pay review, rather than being paid in two stages.
While this will mean only a modest £10 per week extra for staff nurses and about £14 per week more for ward sisters, Mr McGimpsey's announcement was welcomed because he rejected the direct rule ministerial decision to pay the award in two stages of 1.5 per cent now and the remaining 1 per cent in the autumn. England is now the only place in the UK where the increase will be paid in stages.
Mary Hinds, of the British Royal College of Nursing, said she welcomed the fact that Mr McGimpsey and the new Northern Executive and Assembly had upheld its promise to make the payment in full from the outset.
The union, Unison, said it welcomed the award but decried the "substantially below inflation award which is in effect a pay cut for all health workers who have waited for many years for a fair pay system". It acknowledged that the level of the award was not currently within Mr McGimpsey's remit as it was part of a UK-wide negotiation. It added that Unison would continue to ballot for industrial action over health service pay.
Mr McGimpsey said the additional cost would be managed within his departmental budget.
Iris Robinson, the DUP chairwoman of the Assembly's health committee, said the award was a "clear demonstration of the benefits of local politicians making local decisions and devolution working". Sinn Féin welcomed the full payment of the increase.