Monday 12 August 2024
For immediate release
Support staff at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Foundation Trust back strike action over pay row, says UNISON
Hundreds of healthcare support staff at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Foundation Trust are to strike after years of not being paid the correct rate for the job, says UNISON today (Monday).
The workers at the University of Lewisham Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Greenwich voted overwhelmingly for action with 98.8% in favour.
UNISON says the support staff, who provide essential assistance to nurses and other clinical colleagues, are demanding fair pay in recognition of the important role they play in patient care.
They are employed on band 2 of the Agenda for Change pay scale, which means they 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 such as inserting cannulas, performing electrocardiogram tests or taking and monitoring blood, says UNISON.
Staff performing these more complex tasks should be on a higher band 3 salary, which could as much as £2,000 a year more, adds the union.
Yet the trust is refusing to reband all staff the union believes are eligible and will not grant fair back pay for work already done, says UNISON.
UNISON London regional secretary Jo Galloway said: “Healthcare support staff are fed up with being shortchanged. They provide essential care to patients and deserve to be paid fairly for their work.
“The trust has had ample opportunity to put forward a reasonable offer. Staff now have no other choice but to go on strike.”
Notes to editors:
–Strike dates are yet to be finalised.
–UNISON has won over £70m for healthcare support staff through its Pay Fair for Patient Care campaign.
–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
