Unison says contract cleaners are 'fed up'

The union representing the workers at Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull NHS Trust is in talks with their employers, Initial Hospital Services.

Unison said contract cleaners and porters get paid less than their in-house counterparts.

It added that talks aimed at addressing the situation were moving too slowly.

'Two-tier' rates

Figures compiled by Unison show contract cleaners working at the two hospitals in east Birmingham and Solihull currently earn �4.65-an-hour, while porters take home �4.95.

Cleaners and porters employed directly by the trust earn �4.95 and �5.20-an-hour respectively with sick pay, pension provision and other benefits.

Ray Salmon, regional organiser for Unison in the West Midlands, said although rates are likely to increase slightly in October in line with rises in the minimum wage, there is still a "two-tier" rate of pay.

Initial Hospital Services and the trust have agreed to set up a working party to make a proposal next month.

But Mr Salmon said his members have told him they believe that is a "delaying tactic" and have asked him to ballot for strike action.

'Not militant'

Any walkout could involve more than 300 workers, including contract catering staff, whom the union claims are similarly underpaid.

Mr Salmon said: "If there's nothing on the table on 15 October then we could be pursuing industrial action by mid-to-late October.

"We have got a promise of movement but a promise of something doesn't always materialise.

"People are completely fed up. They're not being militant."