NHS workers plan strike due to ‘low pay,’ ‘exploitation’
National Health Service (NHS) workers in London that are employed by outsourcing giant Serco are planning a strike next month due to low pay and exploitation.
Trade union Unite said that 97% of the cleaners, porters and other supporting staff at the Royal London Hospital, Whipps Cross, and St Barts voiced their support for the protest following Serco’s “insulting” one per cent pay rise offer.
Union representatives added that the outsourced workforce is paid 15% less than their directly employed colleagues.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said that employees are now “fighting back against the draconian use of the company’s sickness and disciplinary policies, bullying by management and unmanageable workloads.
Graham also blamed the Barts NHS Trust as they did not intervene with these policies.
Last month, Barts NHS Trust Group Deputy CEO Shane DeGaris said that they plan to bring back some services in-house.
While disappointed with this plan, Serco’s Contract Director for Barts Health Taddy McAuley said that they will provide a £100 payment to front-line workers around the world, including those that are affected by the decision.
