Striking health workers in London are among staff at three NHS trusts that will stage a demonstration outside the Department for Health in a row over pay.
Members of the Unite union, one of whom will be dressed as the Grinch, will deliver a Christmas card addressed to Health Secretary Victoria Atkins to highlight what they call “Scrooge”-like pay on Monday.
Involved in the rally are union members from Barts Health NHS Trust in East London, Together Support Solutions (2SS), a wholly owned subsidiary of East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust, as well as those at subcontractor Mitie based at Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust in the West Midlands.
The workers say they are striking because they have not received a lump-sum payment of £1,650 that those on NHS Agenda for Change contracts received in June.
This is because they are mainly employed in support services such as catering, cleaning and domestic work at hospitals.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It beggars belief that in the run up to Christmas the department for health is still behaving like Scrooge and refusing to pay the money our members are owed.
“Clapping for NHS workers doesn’t put food on the table or presents under the tree and the secretary of state needs to get the message that our members won’t stand for it.”
Members of the union at Barts will also be striking on December 22, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, according to the Trust.
Alongside that, junior doctors with the British Medical Association (BMA) will strike from 7am on December 20 to 7am December 23 and 7am January 3 to 7am January 9.
The Trust said in advice to patients that some appointments may need to be postponed or rearranged.
“We will continue to provide urgent and emergency care and maternity care to people who need it. However, those in less urgent need of care may experience longer waiting times than normal,” said the Trust.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We hugely value the work of NHS staff, and eligible workers on the Agenda for Change contract received the pay rise a result of the deal struck in March – with over a million workers benefitting.
“Ineligible staff were not directly employed on permanent or fixed term contracts with a direct link to AfC.
“In these cases, terms and conditions of employment are a matter for local employers, not the Department of Health and Social Care.”
