Health care assistants secure pay rise after year of campaigning

The trade union Unison has secured a pay rise for staff at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

Healthcare assistants and care support workers will see their annual pay rise by nearly £2,000 following a Unison campaign.

The trust plans to regrade nearly 100 staff from band 2 to band 3 in the pay structure.

The move will see the employees earning up to an extra £1,859 a year once they complete their care certificate qualification.

During the campaign with Unison, healthcare assistants submitted diaries of their daily tasks that demonstrated they were regularly doing the work of staff in the higher pay grade.

Unison London area organiser Remmi Sexton said: “It was only fair that these workers received pay justice. 

“The dedicated and committed healthcare assistants and care support workers should be paid the going rate for the work they do.

“It’s taken more than year of campaigning, but staff have secured a significant and historic victory.

“The trust must be commended for working closely with the union on this issue.”

Pictured Top: Healthcare support workers from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (Picture: Unison)