H&F Hospital Staff Join Four Hour Strike on Monday Morning
Industrial action to be followed by six days of work to rule
Staff from local hospitals, Charing Cross in Hammersmith, Hammersmith Hospital in Shepherd's Bush and Chelsea Westminster on Fulham Road have joined hospitals across the country in a four hour strike over pay on Monday November 24 from 7am till 11am.
The strike is the second to be called by unions UNISON, UNITE, GMB and the Royal College of Midwives. The Society of Radiographers also called for a four hour strike on 24 November from 08.00 to 12.00.
Nurses, ambulance paramedics, therapists, cooks, cleaners, healthcare assistants and admin staff were amongst those striking on Monday morning.
The strike will be followed by six days of action when workers will work to rule.
UNISON says it wants the NHS to be properly funded so that it can have enough staff who are well motivated and fairly paid and adds that its campaign is for:
- immediate payment of the 1% consolidated sum to everyone, as recommended by the NHS Pay Review Body;
- the living wage of £7.65 an hour for low paid staf;
- an above inflation pay rise for 2015-16;
- a commitment to future pay rises that will restore the value of NHS pay.
The union says that there has been a "great turnout across the country" and that it is prepared to keep up the pressure on the government.
Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, says: "The fact almost all health unions are taking part in the industrial action should ring alarm bells in Whitehall.
" The anger is spreading and so is the public support for health workers’ cause. The strength of feeling is far from fading and the dispute far from going away.
" All the Government has done so far is threaten workers with job cuts.
" If the Secretary of State seriously thinks staff are the NHS' best asset then he needs to treat them fairly. We are only asking for decent pay for the hard working people the Government say they care so much about.
" The Government and NHS Employers need to engage in meaningful talks about how to resolve this dispute. We are prepared to keep up the pressure through the Winter and up until the General Election.”
Police officers and the military were drafted in to help on Monday morning with 120 soldiers and 150 police officers driving ambulances, and London Ambulance Service asked people only to call 999 in a genuine emergency.
November 24, 2014