Union says Nottingham healthcare staff back strike action
It's in a row over pay
The Union, Unite say Nottingham healthcare staff back strike action in pay row.
Hundreds of healthcare assistants at University of Nottingham NHS Trust have voted for strike action in a row over pay, says UNISON today (Wednesday).
Healthcare assistants at Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hospital are set to walk out unless hospital managers improve an offer on back pay.
According to NHS guidance, healthcare assistants on salary band 2 of the Agenda for Change pay scale should only be providing personal care, such as bathing and feeding patients.
However, most of the healthcare assistants have routinely undertaken clinical tasks, such as taking blood, performing electrocardiogram tests and inserting cannulas, says UNISON.
The union has set a firm deadline for University of Nottingham NHS Trust to engage in negotiations, demanding a resolution by Thursday 27 March at 5pm. If no agreement is reached, UNISON will begin issuing strike dates.
UNISON East Midlands head of health Gareth Eales said: “Healthcare assistants want to continue providing exceptional care to people across Nottingham. However, they need to be fairly paid for their work.
“The majority of healthcare assistants have been working well above their salary band for years. It’s time the Trust did the right thing and paid them properly for that work.”
Helen, a healthcare assistant in Nottingham, said: NHS staff risked their lives and those of our families to put others first during the pandemic, and continue to do so every day. But it's clear the trust doesn’t think workers are worthy of being paid what they’ve have rightfully earned.”
In a statement - Danielle Petch, Chief People Officer of Nottingham University Hospitals said:
“Health Care Support Worker colleagues at NUH have already been re-banded with associated increased pay to better reflect the important clinical activities that this group of staff carry out. This follows an extensive review to look at the work undertaken by our Health Care Support Workers over a number of years, and whether their banding is correct for the duties they undertake.
“The re-banding follows a robust process with the five unions who represent this workforce, resulting in support from four of the five. It is disappointing that agreement could not be reached with UNISON.
“For those colleagues this affects we have agreed that they will receive back pay to August 2021, which is in line with a national update on job profiles for Health Care Support Workers. We are making the payments from April onwards and when all back pay has been paid, this is expected to total over £10m.
“Our hospitals could not run without the skill and dedication of our Health Care Support Workers, they have been and remain a hugely valued group of colleagues.”