An official from a major health union has said they are “prepared to listen” to a proposal for a two-stage process to deliver a pay increase to workers.

However, Anne Speed from NIPSA also warned that the union is preparing to take industrial action if pay parity with colleagues across the UK is not delivered.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has proposed the two-stage process to deliver a recommended pay rise for health workers in a move he hopes will avert strike action.

It would see the first pay award backdated to August, rather than April.

Mr Nesbitt has said he will then work with Executive colleagues to find the funds required to cover the outstanding four months’ worth of backdating, with that paid at a later date.

Earlier this week, Mr Nesbitt refused to support an Executive funding reallocation exercise, insisting the £350 million given to his department was not enough to cover recommended pay rises for healthcare staff.

Despite receiving 57% of the total funds shared among departments, the minister insisted he is still £100 million short of the money he needs to make pay awards of at least 5.5% to all health staff.

Ms Speed said it is important that all the parties understand that if the health unions are going to be flexible, they have to reassure the workforce that their pay parity with colleagues across the UK for 2024/25 will be on the table.

She warned of a potential “winter of discontent” but said she wanted to be hopeful following discussions between the unions and Mr Nesbitt.

“He did acknowledge we issued some challenges to him, and he has to now examine those challenges and we are expecting to hear from him over the coming days,” she told BBC Radio Ulster on Friday morning.

“We have thrown a challenge to our Executive to say they must actually address this question whatever way it can be done.

“The pay parity uplift is due from April, the ministers’ attention has been focused on that. If there are other propositions about how that is met, we’re prepared to listen, we can’t say we’re prepared to agree because we have to consult with our members.

“They (workers) have to be absolutely confident that pay parity will be maintained. The issue of how any deal would be phased, if it is phased, and if we were to accept it was phased, would have to be negotiated and agreed across the table. We’re not closing any doors but one thing we won’t do is we won’t accept any less than the allocation of pay parity.

“We haven’t yet reached the stage of guarantees on paper but we are hopeful that in the next couple of days we can actually get to that point and it’s important that the minister understands that. I think he got the message yesterday, and it’s important that all the parties with their focus on this issue understand that.

“If we’re going to be flexible, they have to reassure the workforce that the pay parity for 2024/25 will be on the table.”