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The British Medical Association (BMA) is urging the government to bring in the conciliation service ACAS to help settle the junior doctor pay dispute and put a stop to further industrial action.
BMA Chair of Council, Professor Philip Banfield, says the health secretary, Steve Barclay, has refused to enter pay talks with the Association which is halting progress. He says working with ACAS provides “the most realistic chance of a successful outcome to the negotiations” and urges the government to agree to this request.
What is ACAS?
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) helps employers, employees and union to work through and resolve industrial disputes.
It provides free, impartial advice on workplace rights, rules and best practice, and aims to make a legal agreement between the parties without having to go to an employment tribunal.
ACAS is an independent public body that receives most of its funding from the Department for Business and Trade. It is governed by an independent council, meaning they are able to offer an impartial service.
In 2021/22, ACAS handled more than 500 disputes between an employer and a group of workers, represented by a trade union – around six in 10 of these disputes were pay-related.
Of the 91,000 requests for ACAS’ individual dispute resolution service, just over one third (36%) of cases resulted in a positive outcome, and of the cases that went on to lodge an employment tribunal claim, ACAS helped to positively resolve 77%.
ACAS says that achieving success in pay negotiations requires creativity and space for all parties to find mutually acceptable outcomes, with real effort needed to find transitions which are fair to workers and support long-term sustainable business.
The BMA is hopeful that ACAS could help the government and the junior doctors’ union to reach a successful pay agreement by facilitating open talks between the two parties.
BMA council chair says health secretary “intransigent and inflexible”
Professor Banfield said: “We have always said we will get round the table for talks with Mr Barclay any time; a credible offer from him could result in strike action being called off, but despite months of trying, he remains seemingly intransigent and inflexible to all our attempts to reach a settlement.
“The BMA has no preconditions to talks and has consistently sought to negotiate with the Government. Restoring junior doctors’ pay should not be an unworkable proposition for talks and through the services of ACAS, we’re offering the Government an opportunity to discuss how we get there.
“It takes both sides of a dispute to want to find a solution and we urge the Health Secretary to show the same willingness that we have and make himself available and open to talks facilitated by ACAS.”