Nottinghamshire Hospitals Face Strike UncertaintyNottinghamshire Hospitals Face Strike Uncertainty Care managers are overwhelmed in Nottinghamshire as hundreds of private contract workers embark on another strike. The GMB Union has announced a 48-hour strike, bringing the total strike days to ten. Medirest, a private contractor at the Sherwood Forest Hospital Trust, has refused to align its employees’ working conditions with those employed directly by the NHS. Additionally, Medirest workers were denied the NHS Covid Recovery Bonus despite working alongside NHS colleagues during the pandemic. Almost 300 workers, including porters, cleaners, security guards, catering staff, and reception staff, will participate in the strike at King’s Mill, Mansfield Community, and Newark Community hospitals on August 1st and 2nd, 2024. Cameron Mitchell, GMB organizer, expressed his concerns: “Medirest should be providing essential NHS services, but instead, they’re obstructing progress in Nottinghamshire.” Hospital workers question why Medirest refuses to pay its employees equally to NHS staff performing similar tasks. Other private healthcare contractors in the area compensate their staff on par with NHS employees. The strike leaves the hospitals facing uncertainty and further strain on already stretched resources. The impact on patient care remains to be seen.
Care managers are busy ‘in Notts’ as hundreds of workers go on strike again.
GMB Union has today announced a new 48-hour strike by private contractors at three of Nottinghamshire’s largest hospitals
Workers at Medirest, a private contractor to the Sherwood Forest Hospital Trust in Nottinghamshire, are furious after the company’s bosses refuse to align their working conditions with those of colleagues employed directly by the NHS.
Workers were also denied the NHS Covid Recovery Bonus, the benefit paid to the UK health service, despite working alongside NHS colleagues during the pandemic.
Strikes will take place on Thursday 1 and Friday 2 August 2024. This brings the total number of strike days by employees to ten.
Nearly 300 workers, including porters, cleaners, security guards, catering staff and reception staff, will take part in the strike at King’s Mill, Mansfield Community and Newark Community hospitals.
Cameron Mitchell, GMB organiser, said:
“Medirest is a national company that should be focused on delivering essential NHS services, but instead the company is stuck in Notts.
“NHS workers receive better pay, benefits and conditions than Medirest staff, while doing the same job.
“There are many private healthcare contractors in Nottinghamshire who pay their staff the same as NHS employees. Why does Medirest refuse to do the same?”
The post Nottinghamshire hospitals face uncertainty over strike first appeared on Frugals ca.
