What: Rally for Serco outsourced workers at Barts Health NHS Trust
When: 11.00am Monday 31January 2022
Where: Royal London Hospital (Dental Hospital on Turner Street, E1 1FR, at 11am)

 A rally will be held for the outsourced NHS workers outside Royal London Hospital. The workers are fighting against low pay and exploitation.

This Monday (January 31), hundreds of key NHS workers, employed by the giant outsourcing company Serco, will begin a two week strike across Barts Health NHS Trust (see notes to editors).

Speakers at the rally include Apsana Begum MP (Poplar & Limehouse) and John McDonnell MP (Hayes & Harlington).

Unite members who are cleaners, porters, security, catering and reception staff across St Barts, Royal London Hospital, and Whipps Cross will take strike action between Monday 31 January and Sunday 13 February.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "The NHS workers taking strike action have their union’s unwavering support. They face the same risks as NHS-employed staff.  Why on earth are they being paid significantly worse while being treated disgracefully? 

“It's time to end this injustice. It’s time to bring these workers, employed by Serco not the NHS, back into NHS employment.”

Unite regional secretary Peter Kavanagh said: “Our members have worked tirelessly through the pandemic, they deserve better. Serco and Barts need to deliver a pay increase that addresses the poor pay and the inequality of treatment compared to directly employed NHS staff at other hospitals in London."

ENDS

Notes to editors: 

Rallies will also be held on Wednesday, February 2nd at St Barts Hospital (Main entrance on Little Britain at 11am) and on Friday, February 4th at Whipps Cross Hospital (Main entrance on Whipps Cross Road E11 1NR at 11am).

Talks at Acas stalled after Serco failed to offer a sufficient improvement on its offer, which amounts to less than 3 per cent for some workers. Inflation (RPI) has jumped to 7.5 per cent.  Serco Group PLC had a turnover of £3.9 billion according to the latest figures available. The mainly Black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAEM) staff are paid up to 15 per cent less than directly employed NHS staff.

Unite is calling on Barts to:

  • Take the soft services contract in-house and swiftly move to transfer the workforce onto Agenda for Change pay, terms and conditions.
  • Intervene now to ensure Serco improves its pay offer.
  • Demand an end to Serco's draconian use of the company's sickness and disciplinary policies, bullying by management and unmanageable workloads. 

For more information please contact Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315 
Email: Ci[email protected]

Unite is the leading union in the UK and Ireland, dedicated to defending and improving members' jobs, pay and conditions. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.