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Angry hospital agency strike over broken pay rise promise

ANGRY hospital agency staff protested against being cheated out of a pay rise and a decent pension scheme today.

The workers, who are employed by subcontracting giant Mitie, claim they haven’t received a nationally agreed NHS pay rise that management agreed to give them in June 2018.

Although the pay deal was agreed last year, they are still waiting to receive the money.

Workers are also demanding that they are able to keep their NHS pension rather than be moved to a Mitie pension, which will make them significantly worse off.

GMB regional organiser Helen O’Connor said: “The shocking way these outsourced workers are being treated further highlights the importance of eradicating outsourcing in our public services.

“GMB members are now highly likely to engage in a programme of escalating action until the Trust and Mitie resolve this issue.”

Union representative Ian Parker told the Star that workers feel “crippled” by their treatment.

When asked about the GMB setting up a foodbank for struggling workers at Kingston Hospital, Mr Parker said: “It might be an idea.

“Workers here aren’t exactly getting paid a fortune and they’re feeling the pinch.

“You have a lot of foreign workers in here, some of them don’t have the perfect grasp of English and they just get pushed about by management.

“It’s not good. They struggle, but they’re getting braver by the minute – lots of people are saying enough is enough.

“How much can you take before you fight back?”

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