Press Room Archive
PRESS RELEASE
17/03/2004: 2100
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hospital Cleaners and Porters Vote to Strike
Cleaning and some portering staff at North Manchester General Hospital and Bury's Fairfield General Hospital have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in a dispute over pay. The cleaning staff currently earn only £4.61 per hour and are demanding an uplift to £5.00 an hour in line with colleagues at other hospitals.
The staff are not directly employed by the NHS but by multi-national Danish company ISS Mediclean. UNISON Branch Secretary Pete Hinchliffe says, "If these people were directly employed by the NHS, they would be on far better pay and conditions but because they work for a contractor, they have to exist on poverty pay. We call upon ISS Mediclean and Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust to end the iniquity of this two-tier system. We know that our patients want to be cared for by well paid, motivated staff not by demoralised staff on low wages."
The strike is likely to start within the next four weeks and will initially commence with a one-day stoppage escalating to a total withdrawal of labour if the demands are not met.
ENDIT
Pete Hinchliffe
Branch Sec
IN CONNECTION WITH THIS ARTICLE PLEASE CONTACT
THE UNISON REGIONAL OFFICE ON 0161-211-1000