Infectious diseases cleaning team at hospital escalates strike over conditions
Dozens of infection control workers at a major hospital have walked out on strike today in an ongoing dispute over working conditions.
More than 40 workers from the rapid response team at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in Lambeth will strike for 11 days until March 28, according to union Unite.
The team clean highly infectious disease areas in the hospitals to stop the spread of contagious illnesses.
According to Unite the trust has failed to improve “appalling” facilities staff use before, during and after their shifts.
Unite regional officer Tabusam Ahmed added: “Our members are rightly furious about the situation they’ve found themselves in.
“These mainly BAME staff work all times of day and night in dangerous and unpleasant environments to keep hospitals clean and safe of the most infectious and contagious diseases.
“And yet they are told they aren’t valued and that they will remain on the lowest pay band. This is absolutely unacceptable.
“Guy’s and St Thomas’ need to think again and quickly come back to the negotiating table with an improved offer to avoid further disruption at the trust.”
A spokeswoman for Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust said “robust contingency plans” had been put in place to mitigate further industrial action and ensure services remain unaffected.
She said: “We want all our staff to feel supported at work which is why we have been working hard for many weeks to bring an end to this dispute with our rapid response cleaners. We have listened to their concerns and made several changes to address them.
“In addition, we have worked together to make significant progress, and we hope that further industrial action can be avoided. We remain committed to working with our staff to resolve this dispute as soon as possible.”
Previous strikes by the Rapid Response Team saw dozens of workers walk out in a dispute over pay last month.
Pictured top: Unite said the hospital trust has refused to improve “appalling” facilities for its workers (Picture: Unite Union)