UNISON members tell minister, 'Abolish hospital car parking charges'

by John Leiser, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Branch

Over 200 UNISON members and supporters joined a Glasgow & Clyde NHS Branch demonstration on 10 October at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall against car parking charges.

The demo was planned to coincide with Nicola Sturgeon's visit to attend Glasgow & Clyde Health Board's accountability review.

The demo was a success, generating much press coverage of the branch's condemnation of the charges which The GG&C NHS Board are enforcing over all hospital sites.

Branch Secretary Anne McGinley said, "Despite the minister's decision to have a review of the parking charges many UNISON members are still being charged to come to work.

"Patients are still being taxed when they visit sites and local residents are still being put out as staff and patients try to park for free off-site.

"It would be wrong to ignore the strength of feeling on the issue and I hope she will listen to our members and the public."

Among the protesters was Rose Anderson, a domestic at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Rose said: "I highlighted my concerns about parking fees to the minister. My main worry is not as a worker but as a visitor. My baby grand-daughter is in Yorkhill and she's just had an operation. We have to pay up to £7 a day to visit her. It's not fair."

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said she was aiming to "find a balance which does not penalise staff and patients but at the same time recognises the problem of significant congestion in some of our hospitals".

UNISON regional organiser Matt McLaughlin said: "The minister certainly appears to be listening - but the proof of the pudding is in the eating." Communication Officer John Lieser added,

"Our position as a branch is quite clear in this matter we want an abolition of these outrageous charges"

The Health Board has begun to roll out car parking charges across the main hospital sites in Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Despite attempts to exempt some staff, the majority of staff working in the hospitals are liable to pay the full fees of up to £7 per day, as are patients and visitors.

A huge public campaign, organised by UNISON has raised a petition, and a consultative ballot on industrial action. The Health Secretary has instituted a review of car parking fees at hospitals across Scotland, which is due to report next month. Despite this the Board has refused to suspend their charges.

At Glasgow's Royal Infirmary, the car parking has been handed over to private contractors who are in the process of increasing costs to £52 per month.

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