Wednesday 21 August 2024
For immediate release
Strike dates announced for healthcare support staff in Lewisham and Greenwich pay dispute, says UNISON
Hundreds of healthcare support staff at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Foundation Trust will take strike action next month as part of an ongoing pay dispute, UNISON announced today (Wednesday).
Workers from the University of Lewisham Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Greenwich will participate in a 48-hour walkout starting at 7am on Wednesday 4 September. The action is part of their fight for fair pay, recognising the critical role played by the staff in patient care.
The workers involved are employed on band 2 of the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale. According to NHS guidance, that means they should only provide personal care such as bathing and feeding patients. However, the healthcare assistants are regularly undertaking clinical tasks such as inserting cannulas, conducting 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 add as much as £2,000 more to their annual wages. Despite this, the trust is refusing to reband all eligible staff and provide appropriate back pay for work already done, says the union.
UNISON London regional secretary Jo Galloway said: “These dedicated healthcare support staff are the backbone of patient care, yet they’re being underpaid and undervalued by the trust.
“Hospitals across the country have resolved similar pay disputes through negotiation, avoiding the need for strike action. Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust has had every opportunity to do the same, but has failed to make a fair offer.
“Now staff are left with no other option but to strike.”
Notes to editors:
- The staff will strike for 48 hours from 7am on Wednesday 4 September until 7am on Friday 6 September.
- There will be picket lines at University of Lewisham Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Greenwich, between 7am and 8pm on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 September.
- UNISON has won more than £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
