Hospital staff stage three days of strikes over pay and staffing
Posted 02 October 2023 - 16:25
Union claims surge in nursing membership at NHS trust as staff walk out over short staffing and non-payment of lump sum agreed in 2022-23 deal
Nurses are striking at a major London hospital trust today (Monday) in a dispute over safe staffing and pay.
Members of Unite walked out from midnight at multiple hospital sites run by Barts Health NHS Trust, with one source telling the Nursing Standard ‘it could be carnage’.
The source claims dozens of ‘frustrated and exhausted’ nurses working in the Royal London Hospital’s emergency department have left other unions to join Unite so they can take part in the industrial action. Unite confirmed it has had 100 new nursing members at the trust in the past few weeks.
More than trust 1,000 staff will walk out on 2, 3, and 4 October as Unite stages a wave of strikes in London. Its members at East London Foundation Trust will join the action on 4 October, along with junior doctors and consultants.
Lump sum agreed in 2022-23 pay NHS deal has not been given to some staff
Staff at Barts taking industrial action include nurses, biomedical scientists, clinical engineers, porters, cleaners and auxiliary staff. Some have not received lump sum payments promised in the pay deal for 2022-23 agreed with the government earlier this year.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘Our NHS members are fighting for fair pay and to protest at the dangerous problem of staff shortages – something that puts patients in danger and which the government wants to ignore.
‘It is intolerable that our members at Barts, who are some of the lowest paid staff in the NHS and who are living hand to mouth, have been denied the one-off payment they fully deserve.’
The trust tweeted to warn patients that services would be ‘extremely busy’ during strike action.
‘Low pay exacerbates staffing shortages’
Unite regional officer Tabusam Ahmed said: ‘The forthcoming strike action will cause disruption, delays and cancellations at the affected hospitals. The NHS, however, is in crisis every day due to chronic staffing shortages which are exacerbated by low pay.
‘NHS employers and the government have had years to tackle the staff shortages and low pay that are forcing people out of the NHS but have failed to do so.’
A spokesperson for Barts Health NHS Trust said: ‘To ensure quality of care is not compromised and emergency care is still provided to those who need it, we have temporarily adjusted the way we are staffing our emergency department at The Royal London Hospital.
‘We support our staff in their right to strike and are continuing to engage with them and unions to find a suitable resolution and avoid further industrial action.’
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