Back on 6th October, outsourced security staff at Salford Royal Hospital were due to strike after their private contractor employer Engie Services Ltd refused to pay the workers the same rates as other NHS staff.*
The strike was averted after Engie agreed to a new pay deal but has since failed to implement it, and now 100% of security staff who responded have voted for three days of fresh industrial action beginning on 6th November...unless the issue is resolved.
Some security staff are paid only the minimum wage rate of £8.21 an hour, while the lowest rate for staff employed directly by the NHS is £9.03 an hour - and the difference of 82p an hour is worth £1,500 a year for full-time staff.
Even the security guards paid more than the minimum wage earn considerably less than NHS pay rates and have worse working conditions than other staff they work alongside within the Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust.
"Hospital security staff are the unsung heroes of our NHS" says Amy Barringer, UNISON North West regional organiser "They play a crucial role and their role can be exceptionally demanding. This incredibly dedicated group of Salford security staff was forced to vote for strike action by an employer that stubbornly refused to deal with this issue.
"Engie belatedly acknowledged this hidden workforce deserved to be paid NHS rates just like their health service colleagues" she explains "We had all hoped the issue was resolved and the original strike dates were called off in good faith. Since then, Engie has obfuscated and delayed. These staff are no pushovers and are prepared to strike next week to get what they are owed. They have the full support of their UNISON branch and the wider workforce at the Royal."
Ariel Luszcz, a UNISON rep and health care assistant working in accident and emergency, says: "It is sad but true that as clinicians we could not cope in A and E without the support and protection that our onsite security staff give us. They are a vital part of the team.
"It is so unfair that they are not paid NHS Agenda for Change rates, and are singled out to earn less than other staff members" she adds "They support us every day and night - we must now support them in their fight for fair pay."
*For a full background see previous Salford Star article – click here
Update: 5th November 2019: Salford Royal Security staff call off strike after huge victory - click here
.JPG)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
(3).jpeg)
.png)
(1).JPG)
