NHS workers are striking to defend their conditions and pay, and resist management bullying in a system under intolerable pressure, reports Jamal Elaheebocus

As temperatures drop and the nights draw in, the NHS is heading towards another winter crisis. The service is on its knees and the Labour government has offered not nearly enough money to ease the pressure; instead, they are talking about punishing staff with name-and-shame league tables.

Amidst this backdrop, NHS staff across the country are taking industrial action against their employers in fights for better pay and conditions.

Colchester Hospital, East Suffolk and North Essex FT

Porters, cleaners and catering staff at Colchester hospital have been in dispute with East Sussex and North Essex Foundation Trust since August, as the Trust attempts to outsource their jobs to private companies.

The strike has gained a lot of support from the local community, expressed in a march involving the strikers and members of the local community to the town centre in October.

The workers, who are members of the GMB union, are now planning an all-out strike from 25 November to 13 December as they continue to fight the privatisation of their jobs.

As striker Matt Prior outlined for Counterfire, you can support the strike in several ways:

1. Getting down to the picket lines at Colchester Hospital from 25 November – 13 December. Follow @UnisonEastern for latest updates
2. Send messages of solidarity from yourself and/or your trade-union branch to [email protected]
3. Donate to their strike fund at Unison Colchester & Ipswich Area Health, Unity Bank, Sort code: 60-83-01; Account number: 20403881, Reference: STRIKE
4. Sign the petition
5. Write to your MP asking them to act

South London hospitals

GMB members, who are porters, cleaners and caterers at Lewisham, Bethlem Royal, Maudsley and Croydon University hospitals are taking strike action over pay, excessive workloads, staff cutbacks and management bullying.

Workers will walk out for four days beginning on 29 November as they push their employers, ISS, to act on these issues. GMB membership office Helen O’Connor said:

‘Our members provide vital services to the patients in both NHS trusts and they are sick and tired of the bullying and harassment, having pay held down and staffing cutbacks. If ISS cannot treat their workforce in a fair way, then we all really need to question whether these contracts are value for money for the public purse.’

Royal Liverpool Hospital

Over 130 workers at Royal Liverpool Hospital are in the middle of two weeks of strike action demanding that a promised Covid bonus is paid. Members of the GMB, who are porters, cleaners and caterers, began action on Monday 18, after eighteen days of strike action already.

They are demanding that a £1,655 Covid bonus promised by the NHS last November is paid, after it had failed to materialise. The workers at the time were working for ISS but have since been brought in-house. However, this means 60% of staff did not receive the payment offered to directly employed NHS staff.

Swansea Bay UHB

Clinical support workers at eight hospitals including in Swansea, Port Talbot and Neath have voted to take strike action. The workers say they are performing clinical tasks, such as monitoring blood, performing electrocardiogram tests and inserting cannulas, despite being paid at Band 2 level, which only includes personal-care duties. The staff, who are members of Unison, voted by 99% to take action in the ballot.

University Hospital Southampton

Workers at a hospital in Southampton are taking strike action after being told by bosses they must ask for permission to use the toilet. Management at University Hospital Southampton told porters that women will have to request extra time if they are on their period, while they also removed chairs to discourage short rests.

The porters, who are Unite members, are taking a stand against cruel management policies. They will strike for 24 hours on 28 November and will strike every Monday and Friday throughout December and January.

East and North Hertfordshire FT

Healthcare support workers have carried out two three-day strikes at hospitals in Hertfordshire to demand pay in line with the work they carry out. Workers say they are performing clinical tasks which warrant band-3 pay but instead are being paid at band-2.

This is equivalent to £2,000 less pay per year. Staff walked out on 6-8 and 13-15 November demanding they are paid band-3 levels and that this pay is backdated to the start of 2023.

University Hospitals Plymouth FT

Healthcare support workers at hospitals in Plymouth have won a pay rise and back pay from bosses after five days of strike action. As many as 1,200 healthcare support workers, who are members of Unison, have been moved up to band-3 pay after having carried out clinical tasks for several years without the corresponding pay. This result should give hope to those support workers at other trusts striking over similar issues.

Isle of Man

Doctors on the Isle of Man are being balloted for strike action in a pay dispute with the local government. Members of the BMA are demanding a 12.6% pay rise for the 2023/24 financial year. The doctors say they are ‘deeply frustrated’, ‘overstretched’ and ‘underpaid’.

Get to the pickets!

NHS workers are struggling in an overwhelmed system that has been under relentless pressure for years and especially so since the start of the pandemic. These workers taking action deserve our full support in fighting for pay rises and better working conditions, so if any of these disputes are in your area, get to the picket line and show your solidarity.