The domestic, porters and security workers at Barts Trust Unite the Union Branch are striking against job losses and for a 30p increase an hour. Since December 2016 – ‘soft services’ (catering, cleaning, security and portering) SERCO has been given the privatised contract as part of privatising NHS services.
These NHS workers are paid low wages and over-worked but the company they work for Serco has reported a profit of £82 million in 2016. The workers took their first three-day strike action last week from Tuesday 4th July and further actions are planned.
The Barts Trust Unite branch which covers Whipps Cross, the Royal London, Mile End and Barts hospitals are affiliated to Tamil Solidarity. This branch supports all the demands of the campaign including the right to self-determination of the Tamil-speaking people. Tamil Solidarity has sent a solidarity message to the branch – message below.
Jayakrishanth from Tamil Solidarity trade union organiser has also spoke in the rally outside the Whipps Cross Hospital on Wednesday 5th July.
The workers will be taking the seven days strike starting on Tuesday 11 July and a further fourteen days starting on 25 July.
This is the biggest dispute in NHS at the moment and it’s vital to support this strike as it’s an overall fight against privatisation of our national health service, low wage and the 1% public sector pay cap.
Solidarity message from Tamil Solidarity to Barts Unite the Union branch –
We have heard about your recent balloting for strike action of domestic staff, porters and security workers at Barts Health NHS Trust in a in a dispute over pay, job cuts and working conditions
Tamil Solidarity would like to expend its support and solidarity to all the workers at the NHS Barts Trust.
The action of your members is inspiration to other workers in the NHS and wider. We in Tamil Solidarity support a fully funded, free for all National Health Service and support £10 now minimum wage.
We will come and show our solidarity at the picket lines and the demo. Please pass on our solidarity to your members.
See also a video here of the rally