Workers at a London NHS Trust vote to strike
Members of the Unite union at Barts Health NHS Trust will walkout in a dispute over pay and staffing
Last updated 23rd Aug 2023
Workers at Barts Health NHS trust in London have voted in favour of strikes in a dispute over pay and staffing.
Members of Unite a backed industrial action by 95%.
The workers and their representatives will meet over the coming days to decide on strike dates.
Unite said that in a landmark agreement last year, 1,800 workers including cleaners, security guards, porters and domestic staff were transferred to NHS employment from a private contractor.
The union claimed more than 1,000 workers have not received a £1,655 lump sum which is part of the recent deal to end the NHS pay dispute.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "The workers at Barts are up in arms over the trust's failure to pay them a lump sum which was agreed as part of the NHS pay deal.
"They're rightly refusing to be short-changed.
"The workforce won its rights to be NHS workers, now they're planning a campaign of strike action to combat low pay and understaffing at the trust."
Barts Health NHS Trust operates from four major hospital sites - The Royal London, St Bartholomew's, Whipps Cross and Newham - and a number of community locations, including Mile End Hospital.