Action announced at hospitals

Workers involved in recently-privatised housekeeping, cleaning, catering and car parking services at four Berkshire hospitals are ready to strike.

The GMB union has issued notice to NHS Property Services for industrial action after the “in-housing” arms-length employer announced it was changing job titles, job specifications and bandings in a planned reorganisation of the entire workforce.

The proposed changes will move the workforce away from their previous NHS Agenda for Change rates.

The sites affected are King Edward VII Hospital, Windsor; Wokingham Hospital, Wokingham; Upton Hospital, Slough; and St Marks Hospital, Maidenhead .

In November, GMB also balloted members working in the NHS in Wales over a fresh pay offer made by the Welsh government on top of the 3% offered by Westminster, which was overwhelmingly rejected by members earlier this year.

If members reject the offer it could see GMB balloting for strike action, with the union already undertaking industrial action ballots in England.

Meanwhile security guards at Great Ormond Street Children’s hospital will also be going on strike in December.

Following a successful campaign of industrial action by cleaners who ended outsourcing and got put on NHS contracts, the guards, represented by the United Voices of the World (UVW) union, are demanding full NHS pay and terms and conditions, including annual leave, sick pay, parental leave and career progression in line with the opportunities offered to their NHS-employed counterparts.