Extract from a Socialist Party Scotland leaflet

Socialist Party Scotland gives full solidarity to Unison ward clerks across the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Board, taking a two-day strike over pay and grading.

On Wednesday 5 August the Unison branch organised pickets of hundreds at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Inverclyde Royal and the Royal Alexandra in Paisley – pickets rallied at the board headquarters on the first strike day.

Support has come in from Unison and trade union branches nationally, for one of the most high-profile NHS strikes in recent years.

The enthusiasm for the strike reflects the anger that these workers, often women, are on the lowest NHS pay grade, even though they are being given greater responsibilities and tasks to run hospitals. The Unison strike ballot got a 98% vote in favour, showing the willingness to fight.

The employer, Scotland’s largest health board, has been dragging out reviews of grading and pay for years, keeping pay low. This strike makes a mockery of NHS Glasgow and Clyde health board and, behind it, the Scottish National Party (SNP) government’s supposed ‘partnership’ relationship with the trade unions. A year of negotiations took place and still NHS management and politicians stall on an evaluation and back pay.

Before the picketing began, management were encouraging other staff to carry out ward clerk strikers’ duties.

As Unison NHS Glasgow Clyde and CVS Branch secretary Frances Carmichael said: “These skilled workers are essential to the running of hospitals. Without them, doctors and nurses would be dealing with paperwork rather than focusing on patient care”.

A Royal Alexandra picket said: “During the pandemic we were promised that when things got back to normal these roles would be taken off us and pay would be improved, but those promises have been broken”. 

Support across the trade union movement must continue and widen. The strike will also lift the mood of workers across the NHS in Scotland. Many will also want to organise a fight on pay and grading.

The trade unions have a responsibility to mobilise to pressure the new prime minister Andy Burnham, who has promised a “different course from austerity”. But Burnham has also made friendly promises to the bosses.

That’s why Socialist Party Scotland members are campaigning in the unions and pressuring the TUC and STUC (Trades Union Congress and Scottish TUC) to organise national demonstrations against austerity and for pro-worker policies. Our members have raised motions in unions demanding the government reopen talks on public sector pay.

The NHS is in crisis from decades of underfunding and a lack of staffing. As are all other public services. For decades the SNP has passed on austerity from the Tories and now Labour in Westminster. Workers and all those suffering austerity need a political alternative.

Through the Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist coalition, Socialist Party Scotland stood in the May elections on socialist anti-cuts policies and demanding the mass public investment the NHS needs.