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Hairmyres Strike for £5 an hour

The day of action planned for Thursday 31 Oct has been suspended pending the latest offer from ISS being put to members.

ISS finally came up with T&C's which previously they did not want to discuss. The offer gives all staff currently employed £5ph, weekend and nightshift rates and sick pay entitlements, to be implemented immediately. The other outstanding Whitley conditions are to be implemented between now and April 2004. The branch is recommending acceptance.

Ancillary staff employed at Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride, by PFI contractor ISS Mediclean, had voted to take strike action by an overwhelming majority. The ballot took place in support of a pay claim for a minimum wage of £5ph and a return to Whitley Council terms & conditions.


David McAnsh
Branch Secretary
UNION Office
Hairmyres Hospital
EAST KILBRIDE
G75

Tel - 01355 585805/5829
Pager - 07699 708858
E-mail - unison-hairmyres@unisonfree.net

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Lothian health branches sign 'Best minimum wage deal in Britain'

(From UNISON News 117 Lothian Acute Branch e-zine)

UNISON has today signed an agreement that ensures the minimum wage for NHS workers the Lothians is £5 per hour. And almost immediately afterwards that will rise to almost £5.20 per hour assuming that the 2002/3 pay award is accepted.

The agreement spearheaded by UNISON is set to address the dire staff recruitment and retention problems that exist within the NHS in the Lothians.

All Lothian NHS employees who currently earn less than £5 an hour will benefit. The majority of these are Ancillary workers such as porters, security guards, domestics, catering and laundry staff, some of whom have been earning near to the national minimum wage of £4.19 per hour.

Tom Waterson, UNISON Lothian Acute Health, a co-signatory of the agreement said: "We have worked with UNISON Primary Care Branch, UNISON West Lothian Branch and Trusts to achieve this remarkable agreement which gives us the best minimum wage in Britain"

Tom added: "This is a historic deal which has taken almost 2 years to achieve and must be the most significant pay rise for low paid NHS workers in the Lothians in the past 20 years."

Mick McGahey, UNISON Branch Secretary of Lothian Primary Care whose members threatened strike action when the deal stalled last year and Eddie Eagan, UNISON Branch Secretary of West Lothian Health also signed the agreement on behalf of Lothian UNISON.

Although the Lothian NHS Recruitment & Retention agreement with UNISON is applicable to NHS staff only, talks are in progress with Haden to secure the same deal for non NHS UNISON staff.

Willie Hatton, UNISON convenor for Haden staff said, "Haden staff deserve the same terms and conditions as NHS staff. We don't want a two tier health service here."

Details

FOR ALL STAFF:

£5 Per Hour Minimum Wage

Effective From 1 April 2002 Prior To The 2002/3 Pay Award

£5.18 Per Hour Minimum Wage If Pay Award Accepted

FOR ANCILLARY STAFF:

The Present 39 Hour Week Will Be Cut To 37.5 Hours

FOR OTHER STAFF GROUPS:

Points On Pay Scales Currently Equating To Less Than £5 Per Hour Will Be Removed

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