Bolton hospital workers to ballot on action for pay parity

More than 600 hospital cleaners, catering staff, porters and security workers in Bolton will begin voting next week on whether to take industrial action for fair pay and national NHS rates. The 650 support workers are employed by a company called Integrated Facilities Management Bolton Ltd (iFM), which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bolton NHS foundation trust. They work at the Royal Bolton Hospital. They are not being paid the wage increase agreed nationally for NHS staff. While many hospital workers in Bolton remain on the national living wage of £7.83 an hour, staff doing the same role in neighbouring hospitals are now receiving a minimum pay rate of £8.92 an hour. Over the course of a year, these members are losing out nearly £2,000 – because they are working for separate company set up and owned by the NHS trust. A report published this week by the Child Poverty Action Group highlights that the national minimum wage rate paid to these workers  – which the government renamed the ‘national living wage’ some years ago – does not protect households from poverty. It showed that a single parent is £74 a week short of the minimum income needed, while a couple with two children is £49 a week short. UNISON notified the trust today that an industrial action ballot of the affected members will start next week, and that it could lead to strikes taking place from October. “It should be an embarrassment to Bolton iFM and the trust that hospital staff are receiving...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article News ballot health care Industrial action national minimum wage NHS nhs pay NHS subcos one team for patient care wholly owned subsidiaries Source Type: news