London HCAs back on strike in dispute over pay
Healthcare assistants (HCAs) at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust have gone back on strike, walking out for the second time in their campaign for fair pay.
The 72-hour strike began at 7am on Tuesday 24 September and will continue until 7am on Friday 27 September with picket lines at University Hospital Lewisham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Greenwich from 7am to 5pm daily.
“All we are asking for is recognition and respect for the work we do, and have done, for many years”
Alisha Owusu
Healthcare support staff at Lewisham and Greenwich previously held a 48-hour strike from 4-6 September, as part of a national campaign by the union Unison to get HCAs up-banded.
The union is campaigning to ensure that HCAs who perform duties that should place them on band 3 in the Agenda for Change pay scale are not paid as band 2.
According to Agenda for Change, staff who carry out clinical tasks should be on band 3, while band 2 staff should only be providing personal care such as helping patients with dressing, eating, washing and going to the toilet.
The national wage rate for band 2 staff is £23,615, while band 3 staff earn between £24,071 and £25,674.
As well as campaigning to ensure band 3 pay going forward for HCAs who routinely carry out clinical work, Unison is also lobbying for back pay for these HCAs, to make up the shortfall in pay that has accrued over years.
Lewisham and Greenwhich said it had already up-banded the majority of HCAs and had made a “significant and fair proposal” of three years’ back pay.
However, Unison said the deal excluded some HCAs who are owed compensation.
After consultation with staff at the trust, this offer was rejected, leading to the current strike action.
From left, Tia Harris left and Alisha Owusu
HCA Tia Harris, who is on the picket line at Queen Elizabeth Hospital this week, said: “None of us want to be on strike but we’ve been left with no choice.”
She added: “My colleagues and I are struggling to make ends meet on our current wages, and the fact they are not recognising the work we do and have already done is really disheartening.”
Her colleague Alisha Owusu said: “All we are asking for is recognition and respect for the work we do, and have done, for many years.
“The low pay and lack of recognition for the work we do means many of my colleagues have left and the wards are frequently understaffed. Often this means picking up even more extra work.”
Unison’s London regional secretary Jo Galloway said: “The trust’s offer to some staff is a step in the right direction, but it doesn’t go far enough.
“It doesn’t cover all staff affected, nor does it reflect the length of time many have spent working above their pay grade.”
She said it was “deeply disappointing” that trust managers had so far failed to put forward an adequate offer.
“These healthcare employees are at the heart of patient care,” Ms Galloway said.
“The trust shouldn’t be asking staff to perform skilled clinical duties without proper recognition or compensation for the work they do.
“The workers say they won’t end the strike until all their colleagues get the pay and recognition they deserve.”
“Our proposal remains on the table”
Lewisham and Greenwich spokesperson
A spokesperson from Lewisham and Greenwich said the trust was disappointed that its back pay offer had been rejected and that it would remain on the table.
They said: “Our healthcare support workers are valued, essential members of our care teams here at LGT and we have been through a comprehensive process that has seen the majority of them moved up to a higher employment band in the last few months.
“We want to settle this dispute so made a significant and fair proposal to pay three years of back pay in order to try and avoid further strike action.
“Union representatives had indicated that this offer would be welcome, so we are disappointed that it was rejected by their members.”
The spokesperson added that the trust respected the right of staff to strike and that talks would continue to try and resolve the dispute.
“Our proposal remains on the table and we are taking steps to engage with ACAS and our unions to resolve this on the basis of the offer we have made,” they said.
