NHS Hospital Staff Plan Strikes Over Alleged Underpayment

Support personnel within the NHS are set to initiate a series of industrial actions, citing allegations of being “short-changed for years.” Unison, the union, announced that healthcare support workers employed by the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Foundation Trust plan to conduct two separate three-day strikes, commencing on Wednesday, November 6. The trust, which operates the Lister, Hertford County, and new QEII hospitals, stated it had presented “a fair offer to our much-valued clinical support workers,” an offer that “a significant number” of these employees had accepted. Unison is seeking for the trust to apply a retrospective adjustment to the pay rate, aiming to “properly compensate” staff members for performing duties typically associated with higher-level roles. According to the union, over 200 clinical support workers have received “band 2” remuneration while performing “band 3” responsibilities, including tasks like blood monitoring, ECGs, and patient observations. This lower pay band reportedly resulted in an annual income reduction of approximately £2,000, the union asserted. Katie, a clinical support worker at Lister Hospital, commented: “We’re the lowest paid in the NHS, earning just above minimum wage. “I love my job and the patients, but I’ll be striking for the pay and conditions we’re rightfully owed in unity with fellow clinical support worker colleagues old and new.” The union indicated that the trust had consented to reclassify the affected employees, but only with a pay rate adjustment backdated to January 2023 and an additional lump sum based on their tenure. Unison stated: “This would leave some staff thousands of pounds worse off than workers in other trusts where similar rebanding disputes have resulted in employers agreeing to backdate the upgrade over several years.” The union emphasized its efforts to prevent industrial action, confirming ongoing discussions with the trust, but noted that “no agreement has been reached.” Cathrine Ward, Unison’s eastern regional organiser, remarked: “These healthcare support staff are essential to the running of the NHS. But for years their bosses have been taking advantage of them, getting clinical care on the cheap.” A spokesperson for the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust responded: “The Trust has worked hard through negotiation with our local union representatives to establish a fair offer to our much-valued clinical support workers. “The Trust offer is in line with, or more favourable than, other healthcare organisations in the region, where the same offer has been accepted.”Our offer has already been accepted by and paid to a significant number of our staff.”It is disappointing that industrial action has been called, especially as we are currently in a mediation process with Unison through ACAS.” For news updates from Beds, Herts, and Bucks, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.