Hospital cleaners to strike over pay

Hundreds of contract cleaners at a hospital with one of England's worst rates of infection from the MRSA superbug are to stage a one-day strike next month, unions said today.

Employers Initial Hospital Services met the Unison union officials yesterday to present a new pay offer for about 300 workers at Heartlands hospital in Birmingham.

A meeting of 100 staff last night unanimously rejected the employer's latest offer. Staff voted 96% in favour of industrial action in a ballot in June.

The cleaners and porters currently earn the national minimum wage of ?4.85 an hour. They want the same hourly rate as their counterparts employed "in-house" by the NHS at Heartlands' sister hospital in Solihull, which pays ?5.63.

Ray Salmon, West Midlands regional organiser for Unison, said the deal his members had been offered amounted to an increase of 8p an hour.

"Members have instructed me to go away and make preparations for industrial action," he said. "If we accept the proposals, it will do nothing to end the two-tier system of pay in the NHS. The strike is seriously going to affect the running of the hospital and cleanliness."

Mr Salmon said a one-day stoppage involving about 360 union members is planned for the first week in November. The contract cleaners and porters will also then begin a work-to-rule, refusing to cover for sick or absent colleagues or work overtime.

Department of Health figures published recently showed that Birmingham heartlands and Solihull NHS trust had the seventh worst rate of MRSA infection among general acute hospitals in England in the past three years.

Earlier this week, the government appointed a new chief nursing officer, charging her with responsibility for stepping up the battle against MRSA infection. The health secretary, John Reid, said one of the reasons for the spread of MRSA was the decision by the last conservative government to contract out cleaning work.

In a statement, Birmingham heartlands and Solihill NHS trust said today: "The trust is very disappointed that Unison and its members have rejected the offer put forward by Initial Hospital Services. Overall this package is equivalent to a 20% rise. "Any strike action will have an adverse effect on patients. However, the trust and Initial will do everything possible to ensure that cleaning standards are maintained and as many services as possible continue."

Initial Hospital Services said yesterday: "This deal, if accepted, will introduce a company sick pay scheme and increase annual holiday entitlement. There will also be an increase in weekend and evening pay rates.

"We urge our staff to accept this deal. Any industrial action would be disruptive for the hospital and it would cause unnecessary anxiety for patients."

The government's recent pledge to ensure conditions for health service staff employed by private contractors should be "no less favourable" than those enjoyed by the NHS, applies only to new contracts.

Mr Salmon said cleaners at the hospital are also unhappy at the sick pay and annual leave entitlements offered by Initial, particularly as the sick pay scheme would be reviewed after three months and withdrawn if there is any "perceived abuse".

He added that an improved pay offer depends largely on the hospital: "The trust holds the purse strings. It's our experience that whoever puts in the cheapest bid gets the contract."

The union plans a further meeting with employers on Monday.