Critical care nurses strike in overtime pay dispute

4 hours ago

Georgie Dockerand

Phil Cunliffe,North West

News image — Staff have taken to the picket lines, with Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust saying: "We respect our colleagues' right to take lawful industrial action"

BBC Woman gathered wearing coats and holding placards outside of a hospital setting. — Staff have taken to the picket lines, with Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust saying: "We respect our colleagues' right to take lawful industrial action"

Some nursing staff at three critical care units across Greater Manchester have gone on strike in a dispute about overtime pay and claims of "chronic understaffing".

Picket lines formed at 7:00 GMT, with Unison members at Salford Royal Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital, and Fairfield General Hospital walking out for 12 hours, saying staff are not being fairly paid for extra shifts.

Jacqui Lewis, the local Unison branch secretary, said pay issues caused "malnutritioned" and and "lethargic" staff, impacting "mental capacity".

Katie Robinson, deputy chief nursing officer at Northern Care Alliance Foundation Trust, said: "Our focus remains on being fair, equitable and consistent for all colleagues."

Woman with brown hair and glasses with purple union flags in background. — Speaking at the Salford picket line, Jacqui Lewis, secretary for Unison's Unison's Northern Care Alliance Health Branch, said pay issues caused "malnutritioned" staff

"These people work in really important parts of the hospital ICC and ICU.

"Their focus is paramount in a critical care setting, that's self-explanatory.

"To be malnutritioned, to feel lethargic because you've not been able to eat well or you've not been able to put your heating on and keep warm - that has an impact on your mental capacity."

A group of women with placards on the picket line — The NHS trust says it has worked with Unison through Acas conciliation but "both parties are disappointed that industrial action could not be avoided"

According to Unison, the strike action is happening because "whenever the nursing staff do overtime, they are paid less than their substantive pay".

The union said overtime should be paid at "one-and-a-half times your substantive salary and two times on bank holidays". It says the trust "gets around this by putting all extra shifts out to an agency".

Staff stand to lose upward of £100 a shift, the Union has said - adding union members have been visiting food banks and struggling to pay their bills.

"Many refuse to work the shifts, which has a knock on effect," the union added.

"Management struggle to staff the shifts, with chronic understaffing since the changes were put into place."

Group of union members with UNISON flags stand on a curb. — The union also claims understaffing issues cause an increased risk in safety issues, such as high-risk individuals being left alone

Robinson added: "We respect our colleagues' right to take lawful industrial action.

"Throughout this process, we have worked with Unison through Acas conciliation, and we are grateful for their constructive involvement.

"While both parties are disappointed that industrial action could not be avoided, our focus remains on being fair, equitable and consistent for all colleagues.

"Patient safety and high-quality care remain our absolute priority, and we are working hard to minimise any disruption for our patients and people who use our services.

"Anyone who has an appointment should attend as scheduled unless contacted and told otherwise."

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