South London hospitals facing winter disruption as more than 300 workers strike
Key hospital services will be severely impacted unless ISS meet GMB to discuss member grievances
More than 300 members of GMB, the union for hospital staff, will strike at multiple hospital sites across South London this winter.
Porters, cleaners and caterers employed by outsourcing giant ISS will take four days of industrial action from 29 November across four sites at Croydon and South London & Maudsley NHS trusts - Croydon University Hospital, Maudsley Hospital, Lewisham Hospital's Ladywell Unit and Bethlem Royal Hospital.
The dispute centres around a number of workplace issues, including pay, excessive workloads, staffing cutbacks and management bullying.
Helen O’Connor, GMB Membership Development Officer said:
“Our members provide vital services to the patients in both NHS trusts and they are sick and tired of the bullying and harassment, having pay held down and staffing cutbacks.
“Outsourced staff get less pay, lower sick pay, fewer holidays and are treated far less favourably than staff directly employed by the NHS.
“We are calling on ISS to get around the table with GMB, the union of choice for these workers and take genuine steps to address our members' grievances.
“If ISS cannot treat their workforce in a fair way, then we all really need to question whether these contracts are value for money for the public purse.”
