St Georges Hospital Tooting faces embarrassment as Mayor intervenes in wages row
GMB, the union for workers in the NHS, welcomes the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan’s intervention in the St George’s Hospital dispute by writing to Sir David Henshaw, Chair of St Georges University Hospital Trust urging him to do everything possible to ensure GMB members working for G4S Patient Transport receive the London Living Wage.
This follows on from a 3 day strike last week and a one day strike at the start of the month (see notes to editors for details) over poor pay and conditions relative to other workers at the site. The G4S workers at St George’s Hospital are the only workers at St George’s who do not receive NHS pay and conditions. The Mayors letter, see copy in notes to editors, says “The London Living Wage increases productivity, reduces absenteeism and sick leave and can make it easier to recruit and retain the best staff.”
Kieron Merrett, GMB Regional Organiser said “NHS bosses at St George’s Hospital in Tooting face embarrassment as the Mayor of London urged them to bring pay for their outsourced workers up to the London Living Wage. The NHS Trust, which is able to block any pay rise for the outsourced G4S workers on the site, has previously declined to allow a pay rise to London Living Wage, prompting a further three days of strikes last week.
Sadiq Khan is right to outline the benefits for the trust of paying workers a wage they can survive on. GMB hope that the Mayor’s comments concentrate the trusts mind on resolving this dispute. GMB call on the trust to return to the negotiating table and ensuring all workers on their site are fairly rewarded. The Mayor’s letter will increase the pressure on St George’s, Tooting to put forward an offer to GMB before more industrial action is called. The G4S workers at St George’s Hospital are the only workers at St George’s who do not receive NHS pay and conditions. They are paid significantly less than other patient transport workers, including those employed by G4S in other local hospitals.
The trust have allowed pay and conditions to decline with a succession of private sector contractors. GMB members do an incredibly important job which is a life line to many NHS patients. It is simply not right for those workers to have significantly worse pay and conditions than other NHS staff.”
Contact: Kieron Merrett on 07866 441 656; Paul Maloney on 07801 343839 or Michelle Gordon on 07866 369259
Notes to Editors
1 Copy of letter from Sadiq Khan to Sir David Henshaw, 29 November 2016
Dear David,
As Mayor of London I strongly support the London Living Wage Campaign. The London Living Wage goes right to the heart of how we make London a fairer and more equal city for those who live and work here.
I understand you have an ongoing issue with a number of staff subcontracted by G4S who provide passenger transport services for the Trust. I would urge you to do everything possible to ensure these staff receive the London Living Wage. Providing the London Living Wage makes a real difference to families in in-work poverty. The London Living Wage increases productivity, reduces absenteeism and sick leave and can make it easier to recruit and retain the best staff.
When I became Mayor earlier this year I promised to ensure City Hall and all the Mayoral bodies pay the London Living Wage – for our own staff and for contractors. We’ve already found a few examples where that wasn’t happening and we have put them right.
My long-term aim is to make London the world’s first Living Wage City and so I would really encourage you to do everything you can to ensure your staff are receiving the London Living Wage.
Yours sincerely
Sadiq Khan
Mayor of London
2 Pictures from the strike on 1 November 2016 are available here:
www.gmb-southern.org.uk/gallery/g4s-st-georges-hospital-strike-demo
3 G4S Patient Transport workers at St George’s Hospital do not have NHS “Agenda for Change” Terms and Conditions, whereas all other workers on site have, including those employed directly by the NHS Trust and those employed by private contractors. Agenda for Change includes, amongst other things, an Inner London High-Cost Area Supplement and minimum levels of annual leave and sick pay.
4 GMB Press release 21 November 2016
GMB MEMBERS AT ST GEORGE’S HOSPITAL ANNOUNCE FURTHER 3 DAY STRIKE STARTING ON 22ND NOVEMBER TO END TWO TIER PAY FOR OUTSOURCED PATIENT TRANSPORT SERVICE STAFF
St George’s must not force the lowest paid workers, or the most vulnerable patients, to bear the brunt of the NHS cuts says GMB
GMB members working for G4S Patient Transport at St George’s Hospital in Tooting are to strike for 3 days starting next Tuesday 22nd November until Thursday 24th November over poor pay and conditions relative to other workers at the site. This follows on from a one day strike on 1st November. (See notes to editors for copy of previous press release)
The workers, represented by GMB, the union for workers in the NHS, rejected a last-minute offer from G4S and St George’s NHS Trust. The deal failed to put the workers on a similar footing with other Patient Transport drivers in the area, or with other NHS workers at St George’s.
GMB considers that St George’s NHS Trust has allowed pay and conditions, as well as the quality of the Patient Transport service for patients, to decline with a succession of private-sector contractors. Patient transport services are a vital part of the NHS, delivering vulnerable patients to key hospital appointments that they may not otherwise be able to attend.
G4S has responded to the pay dispute by suspending both of GMB’s workplace reps from work and attempting to negotiate directly with workers.
The picket will start at 6am with the main concentration from 8am on Tuesday 22nd November. The details are as follows:
St George’s Hospital
Effort Street Entrance
Tooting
SW17 0QR
Kieron Merrett, GMB Regional Organiser, said: “G4S must now reinstate GMB’s workplace reps and come back to the negotiating table, with a deal which ends the undervaluing of G4S workers at St George’s Hospital.
Meanwhile, St George’s NHS Trust must not continue outsourcing vital services for patients to the lowest bidder, simply to allow pay and conditions and service quality to spiral.
The G4S workers at St George’s Hospital are the only workers at St George’s who do not receive NHS pay and conditions. They are paid significantly less than other patient transport workers, including those employed by G4S in other local hospitals.
Like many NHS Trusts, St George’s is in significant financial difficulties. But it must not force the lowest paid workers, or the most vulnerable patients, to bear the brunt of the NHS cuts.”
5 GMB Press release 27 October 2016
GMB MEMBERS AT ST GEORGE’S HOSPITAL STRIKE ON 1ST NOVEMBER TO END TWO TIER PAY FOR OUTSOURCED PATIENT TRANSPORT SERVICE STAFF
St George’s must not force the lowest paid workers, or the most vulnerable patients, to bear the brunt of the NHS cuts says GMB
GMB members working for G4S Patient Transport at St George’s Hospital in Tooting are to strike next Tuesday (1 November) over poor pay and conditions relative to other workers at the site.
The workers – represented by GMB, the union for workers in the NHS – rejected a last-minute offer from G4S and St George’s NHS Trust. The deal failed to put the workers on a similar footing with other Patient Transport drivers in the area, or with other NHS workers at St George’s.
GMB considers that St George’s NHS Trust has allowed pay and conditions, as well as the quality of the Patient Transport service for patients, to decline with a succession of private-sector contractors. Patient transport services are a vital part of the NHS, delivering vulnerable patients to key hospital appointments that they may not otherwise be able to attend.
G4S has responded to the pay dispute by suspending both of GMB’s workplace reps from work and attempting to negotiate directly with workers.
The picket will start at 6am with the main concentration from 8am on Tuesday 1st November. The details are as follows:
St George’s Hospital
Effort Street Entrance
Tooting
SW17 0QR
Kieron Merrett, GMB Regional Organiser, said: “G4S must now reinstate GMB’s workplace reps and come back to the negotiating table, with a deal which ends the undervaluing of G4S workers at St George’s Hospital.
Meanwhile, St George’s NHS Trust must not continue outsourcing vital services for patients to the lowest bidder, simply to allow pay and conditions and service quality to spiral.
The G4S workers at St George’s Hospital are the only workers at St George’s who do not receive NHS pay and conditions. They are paid significantly less than other patient transport workers, including those employed by G4S in other local hospitals.
Like many NHS Trusts, St George’s is in significant financial difficulties. But it must not force the lowest paid workers, or the most vulnerable patients, to bear the brunt of the NHS cuts.”
