Hospital workers forced to strike over privateers Sodexo 3 year breach of promise

Please note that Privateer contracting company Sodexo which was party to agreements to end two tier working in the NHS is now trying to run away from its responsibilities to properly pay its contracted out staff.  This has resulted in strike action in North Devon.

I thought that Sodexo accordng to its web site "has an unrivalled reputation for building lasting partnerships with clients through open, transparent relationships based on trust and exceptional performance". Yeah.  I hope no-one in any responsible postion will consider awarding or renewing contracts to such companies until they do the decent thing.  I wonder if Sodexo is a public company and if our pension funds own shares in it?  Must find out!

From UNISON Website (04/01/10) More than 200 UNISON members working for Sodexo at the North Devon NHS Trust are due to start a two-day strike at midnight tonight over the company's and trust's refusal to pay them Agenda for Change wages due three years ago.

Further action is planned on a weekly basis.

Back in 2005, the NHS, unions and private contractors signed a joint national statement to end the two-tier workforce in the health service by giving staff working for contractors the same Agenda for Change pay and conditions as colleagues working directly for the NHS.

And although UNISON says the North Devon trust received money to cover this, and the national agreement should have been implemented in October 2006, the cleaners, porters and cooks and others employed by Sodexo are still waiting for a pay rise and back pay.

"Our members don't want to take industrial action," said UNISON regional organiser Helen Eccles, but "they've waited three years for the national agreement to be implemented, despite the fact that the trust has already received the funds.

"Our members simply want to know when they will receive fair play."

The industrial action, voted for by 97% of members on a 81% turn-out, follows on the heels of the workers organising themselves to campaign for what they're owed over the last few months.

UNISON membership has risen from 45 to more than 200 between June last year and the end of 2009, and the workers have an organising committee of five stewards.

The trust and Sodexo have responded to the workforce getting organised and threatening industrial action by agreeing to Agenda for Pay sick pay and holiday entitlements from the beginning of this year, but have still not moved on paying the workers the correct rate or back pay.

Messages of support and financial donations can be sent to the branch at
UNISON Branch
North Devon District Hospital
Suite 2 Munro House
Raleigh Park
Barnstaple
EX31 4JB

email: unisonhealthndevon@hotmail.co.uk

Check out BBC report here and UNISONactive (Update: and now here).