Unite secures another victory for outsourced NHS workers at Barts

Workers brought onto NHS terms and conditions including a pay increase of up to 17 per.

Building on the landmark victory struck at one of the UK’s largest NHS Trusts, Unite has secured an agreement to bring linen and laundry workers at Barts Health NHS Trust onto NHS terms and conditions.

Earlier this year, Unite won an agreement to bring 1,800 NHS workers employed by the outsourcer Serco into NHS employment at Barts. The first tranche of workers were transferred to the NHS on 1st November and all porters at the five hospitals will be transferred on 1st February. The remaining workers are due to transfer on 1 May 2023.

Now workers employed by the private provider Synergy are being transferred onto Agenda for Change NHS terms and conditions from the 1 May 2023. The workers have also elected five union reps across the five hospitals which make up the Trust.

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “Unite has secured another victory for outsourced workers at Barts. Not only will workers get a pay boost up to 17%, they will also get NHS terms and conditions going forward. This agreement is yet another example of Unite winning on jobs, pay and conditions.”

The deal means the 29 workers, a high proportion of whom are from ethnic minorities, are in line for a pay increase of up to 17%. The work remains outsourced due to insufficient facilities, such as laundry rooms at the Trust. But the workers will receive the benefits of NHS terms and conditions.

Unite regional officer, Tabusam Ahmed said; “Unite is successfully building on the earlier victory to bring 1,800 workers who were employed by Serco into NHS employment. The union has now struck another blow against the race to the bottom in the NHS. This is a clear message to other NHS employers – Unite will continue to campaign to bring outsourced workers back into NHS employment”

In March this year, the union struck a landmark agreement with one of the UK’s largest NHS trusts to bring 1,800 NHS workers employed by the outsourcer Serco into NHS employment.