Hospital Staff Initiate Second Strike Amid Pay Dispute

Employees at a hospital are conducting their second 48-hour industrial action concerning a disagreement over wages. According to health officials, patient services are expected to face “minimal” disruption, as the striking individuals are staff members of Serco, the company responsible for employing caterers, housekeepers, security guards, and porters at the Great Western Hospital (GWH) in Swindon. The work stoppage commenced at 07:00 GMT on Monday and is scheduled to conclude at 07:00 on Wednesday. Serco expressed that it was “as disappointed as they are [workers]” regarding the unsuccessful application made to the NHS for bonus funding. An agreement on wages was reached in June 2023 for personnel under NHS contracts, which incorporated a one-off payment covering the prior financial year. However, the trade union Unison stated that Serco has failed to distribute these payments, valued at a minimum of £1,655, to its staff at the Swindon hospital. Tom Kennedy-Hughes, the union’s South West regional organiser, commented: “Serco’s refusal to honour the NHS pay deal is deeply unjust and has left hard-working hospital staff struggling to make ends meet.“It’s not too late for Serco to avoid further disruption,” he further stated. The union clarified that comparable disagreements at other healthcare facilities, such as those in Wiltshire, have already been settled. Serco’s management informed the BBC of their “disappointment” regarding the industrial action. A spokesperson also remarked: “Serco has a great relationship with our colleagues and both trades unions at the hospital. We are as disappointed as they are that our application to the NHS to fund the bonus has not been successful.” Officials at the Swindon hospital noted that they employ a “small number of staff” through Serco and are collaborating with the firm to “ensure the impact of the strike action on service and care delivery remains minimal.”