Security guards win through

Security guards at the Royal Berkshire Hospital have won a pay increase of 7.5%, backdated to December 2021, with each worker receiving approximately £400 in back pay. The victory comes after a hard fought year-long battle to win decent pay from their outsourced employer, Kingdom Services Group Ltd. The 20 guards, who are Unite members, have taken industrial action and vow to fight on to become directly employed by the hospital itself.

The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, is currently undertaking a tendering process for the three year security guard contract, so the union is pushing for staff to be brought in-house. It is understood the security guard contract held by Kingdom Services is worth more than £750,000 annually.

Unite lead officer for health in the south east Jesika Parmar said: “Our members first balloted for industrial action in February 2020, but then postponed action due to the onset of the Covid pandemic. I am delighted that their dogged determination has, at last, paid off.

“Our view remains that this contract should be brought back in-house as the best way to deliver this important service and the most efficient use of the NHS’s money.”