AGENCY security guards at a Southampton hospital celebrated victory yesterday after winning greatly improved pay and protection from attacks.
The 21 Unite members at Southampton General Hospital, who are employed by contractor Mitie, accepted a management deal that guarantees a higher wages, improved sick pay arrangements and new personal protective equipment (PPE).
There will be a 14.5 per cent increase for security officers, backdated to May 1, which takes their pay to £9.50 an hour.

Working in a high-risk sector, prison officers’ calls for proper PPE must be heeded – and the POA will be fighting to ensure effective protection at work is delivered, writes MARK FAIRHURST

Despite Labour’s promises to bring things ‘in-house,’ the Justice Secretary has awarded notorious outsourcing outfit Mitie a £329 million contract to run a new prison — despite its track record of abuse and neglect in its migrant facilities, reports SOLOMON HUGHES
