NEARLY 400 cleaners, porters and caterers at St Helier and Epsom hospitals voted to walk out over “second-class” treatment yesterday, as they stepped up demands for conditions equal to their colleagues.

The workers, overwhelmingly from migrant and minority ethnic backgrounds, are directly employed by the NHS.

But they continue to be denied the same Agenda for Change (AfC) conditions as their colleagues, more than four years after being brought back in-house, their union United Voices of the World says.

AfC is the national framework for most NHS staff, covering pay bands, working hours, annual leave and other employment rights.

The facilities workers are demanding full sick pay, improved pension contributions, increased annual leave and pay in line with their colleagues.

Despite doing vital front-line work, they remain on inferior terms, receiving over £1 less per hour, no enhancements for nights or weekends, and up to two weeks’ less annual leave per year than AfC staff. 

UVW general secretary Petros Elia said: “They are NHS workers in every respect, yet they’re treated as second class. That’s not just unjust — it’s discriminatory. 

“They’ve waited four years. They’ve been ignored, sidelined and disrespected. Now, they are standing up.”

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals said that it announced a pay rise of up to 5.3 per cent from April, and that staff will be automatically enrolled in the NHS pension scheme, correcting a seven-year-old error.

A spokesperson said: “When colleagues were brought in-house in 2021 they received improved pay and conditions compared to their private contracts, including the London Living Wage. 

“We understand their concerns and remain open to engaging with our colleagues and their unions.”