Friday 19 July 2024
For immediate release
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust staff balloted for strike action over pay dispute, says UNISON
More than 450 healthcare assistants at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust are to be formally balloted for strike action after years of not being paid the correct rate for the job, says UNISON today (Friday).
The support staff at the University of Lewisham Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Greenwich, who provide essential support to nurses and other clinical colleagues, are demanding fair pay to recognise the important role they play in patient care.
The staff, who have been employed on band 2 of the Agenda for Change pay scale, should only be providing personal care such as bathing and feeding patients, according to NHS guidance.
However, the healthcare assistants are regularly undertaking clinical tasks like inserting cannulas, carrying out electrocardiogram (ECG) tests or taking and monitoring blood.
NHS guidance says staff performing these more complex tasks should be on a higher band 3 salary, which could be over £2,000 a year more, adds UNISON.
UNISON is calling for the healthcare assistants to be moved to the correct higher band, and receive back pay according to how long they have been doing these additional duties.
UNISON London regional organiser Michael Walker said: “Healthcare assistants have been undervalued and underpaid for far too long.
“The Trust should do the right thing and reward staff for the hard work they do.”
Notes to editors:
– Healthcare assistants do the following job roles: healthcare support workers, maternity care assistants, maternity support workers, theatre support workers, theatre support care workers, theatre support assistants, clinical support workers and endoscopy technicians.
– The strike vote opened on 11 July and closes on 8 August, it follows a 98.5% vote in favour of strike action following an earlier union consultation of the workers.
– 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.
Media contact:
Rosie Sammut M:07958 063188 E:r.sammut@unison.co.uk
