Healthcare staff at three NHS trusts in Dorset have backed plans that could see widespread disruption across the region, the union has said.
An overwhelming majority (98 per cent) of health workers, including porters and cleaners, say they want to vote for strike action in a row over moves to shift 1,700 staff from the NHS to an external company.
The NHS foundation trusts – Dorset HealthCare University, Dorset County Hospital, and University Hospitals Dorset – want to move the mainly low-paid support workers to a wholly owned subsidiary company, also known as a subco.
UNISON – a trade union representing staff who provide public services in the public and private sector – said the controversial plan goes against government promises to bring employees back into the NHS, rather than outsource them.
Ahead of the election, Labour said it would “bring about the biggest wave of insourcing of public services in a generation.”
The staff affected are currently employed at hospitals across Dorset including at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester, Royal Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, and Weymouth.
The trade union says these workers fear they’ll receive inferior pay and conditions, and be unable to access career opportunities available to NHS employees if they’re contracted out to an external operator.
More than 1,000 NHS staff voiced their concerns over the plans in May at a protest outside of Dorset County Hospital.
Staff held the lunchtime protest and highlighted their fears over the security of their pay, pension and job security.
In response to the protest, hospital chiefs said that staff where ‘highly valued’ and would retain their NHS terms and conditions, and their NHS pension, if the merger went ahead.
UNISON south west regional secretary Kerry Baigent said: “The NHS depends on these workers to keep hospitals clean, safe and running efficiently. Many are already low-paid and outsourcing will leave them with a raw deal.
“Porters, cleaners and other staff want to be part of the NHS, working as one team to give patients the best care possible.
“But this move casts valuable employees out to an arms-length company with no guarantee over pay and conditions.
“The NHS needs to be rebuilt, not dismantled and parcelled off to the lowest bidder. The government needs to honour its pledge to insource public services.
“This plan by these trusts goes against Labour’s manifesto promise. It makes support staff feel they’re not valued – and they won’t be treated in this way.”