Hundreds of healthcare support workers at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust will strike again next week after talks to resolve a long-running pay dispute broke down, says UNISON.
Staff at Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hospital will walk out from Monday 9 June until Saturday 14 June – their longest strike to date.
The industrial action is part of a campaign by UNISON to secure thousands of pounds in back pay for healthcare assistants who’ve been carrying out clinical tasks well above their pay grade for years.
Under NHS rules, healthcare support workers on band 2 of the Agenda for Change pay scale should be limited to personal care duties, such as feeding and washing patients. But many of these staff have been required routinely to take blood, fit cannulas and carry out electrocardiogram (ECG) tests, responsibilities that should fall under band 3.
At the latest round of talks, which ended last week, hospital bosses offered the lowest-paid healthcare staff just one extra day of annual leave, rather than the pay hike they deserve, says the union.
In addition, UNISON have evidence that agency workers for NHS Professionals Limited, which is a wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care are being drafted in to cover the shifts of striking workers. UNISON claim this is against employment law legislation and constitutes illegal ‘strike breaking’.
UNISON East Midlands regional organiser Scott Weightman said: “Healthcare assistants in Nottingham are owed thousands of pounds in back pay. These workers have spent years performing essential clinical duties for patients, going above and beyond every single day, as well as holding the hands of dying patients during the pandemic.
“Instead of giving them the money they’ve already earned, the trust has offered them one extra day off. That’s beyond inadequate and simply insulting.”
Notes to editors:
Band 2 clinical support workers should only undertake personal care duties, according to NHS guidance.
So far UNISON has won £200m for healthcare assistants and other support workers through its Pay Fair for Patient Care campaign. More information on the campaign is available here.
UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
