Strike action planned for Mansfield and Sutton hospital workers

GMB – a general trade union in the UK with more than 560,000 members – has announced that more than 200 workers at King’s Mill Hospital, Mansfield Community and Newark Hospital, who are employed by private contractor Medirest, will go on strike later this month.

The union said workers are unhappy with the “less favourable terms and conditions” they receive compared to directly employed NHS staff.

This issue has come to a head after NHS employees received a covid recovery bonus payment, which was not applied to staff in the hospitals employed by Medirest.

The strike is planned for 24 hours on Friday, May 17.

Medirest is a major private provider of facilities and services across Nottinghamshire’s Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust.

Cameron Mitchell, GMB organiser, said: “Strike day will no doubt see huge disruption to the services at these three hospitals.

“Medirest workers are being treated like second class staff compared to workers employed directly by the NHS.

“Just like their colleagues on NHS contracts, they worked through Covid delivering key services to patents; yet they are yet to be paid the covid recovery bonus they were promised.

“These workers are demanding the dignity and recognition they deserve – it’s a disgrace that Medirest bosses have pushed them to this.”

A spokesperson for Medirest said: “The eligibility criteria for this bonus payment is in the hands of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

“While we are pleased that some of our employees have been identified as eligible and are due to receive the bonus payment imminently, we recognise it is disappointing for those who do not meet the Government’s eligibility criteria.

“All our employees received a separate pay uplift last year and have access to a range of employee benefits.

“We continue to maintain a regular dialogue with our people, the unions, and NHS trusts.

“We are disappointed with GMB’s decision to proceed with industrial action.

“If it goes ahead, in partnership with the trust, we have put in place contingency measures to limit any disruption to services for patients.”