A union boss has called on Westcountry health trusts to "avoid stirring up more industrial unrest" and abandon the idea of regional pay.
Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, said during a visit to the region that the members of South West Pay Consortium (SWC) should stick to nationally agreed pay arrangements.
Currently, 19 health trusts in the region belong to the organisation which they say is about tackling unprecedented future financial challenges.
However, representatives of health workers, from cleaners to doctors, fear it is a vehicle for driving down pay and conditions.
Mr Prentice said Agenda for Change, the national pay agreement for the NHS, was the way forward and that trusts should be working with unions to set it in stone.
"I am also calling on the south west consortium to think carefully about the benefits of the new agreement and avoid stirring up more industrial unrest. Any rogue employers thinking of going it alone and breaking away from national pay and bargaining should be under no illusions – UNISON will fiercely resist this."
