Senior managers at a North East Lincolnshire hospital trust can avoid a strike next week by holding pay talks and making an acceptable offer to workers, says UNISON today (Tuesday).
Maternity support workers in Grimsby have voted unanimously to back a 48-hour strike from 7am on Monday (29 July) as part of their campaign to secure back pay.
The staff, who were previously on band 2 of the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale, had been carrying out clinical responsibilities that should have been paid at the higher band 3 for several years, says UNISON.
Although the staff have now been moved up to the higher salary grade, the union is calling on the trust to compensate them for earlier unrewarded work.
Managers at the trust have told UNISON they are willing to meet via the arbitration service Acas. UNISON is hopeful the talks will result in an appropriate offer to staff, which could negate the need for strike action next week.
UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside regional organiser Ashley Harper said: “Taking strike action is always a last resort and staff are keen to avoid it if at all possible.
“Diaries have been cleared to meet with senior managers from the hospital to try to find a solution. It’s now up to managers to come up with an acceptable offer.
“Staff were working above their pay grade on goodwill for too long. It’s time the trust made an offer to make up for all the years the workers were effectively being underpaid – avoiding the need for next week’s strike.”
One midwife support worker said: “Some of us have worked in this role for decades, but feel undervalued, underpaid and overworked.
“We just want to be paid for the work we’ve done, and to be shown we are valued.”
Find our more about UNISON’s Pay Fair for Patient Care campaign
