Billy Hughes, Nottingham Socialist Party
Unison members took two days of strike action at Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust (NUH) on 10-11 April.
Healthcare support workers attended lively picket lines at Nottingham City Hospital and Queen’s Medical Centre, determined to receive appropriate backpay compensation for clinical duties that they have been performing routinely for years.
NHS guidance states that duties for workers on salary ‘Band 2’ should be limited to personal care provision such as bathing and feeding patients, while ‘Band 3’ duties include delegated clinical tasks such as monitoring blood and heart rate pressure, taking blood and cannulation. NUH has continued to refuse fair compensation for workers performing Band 3 duties for, in many cases, over a decade.
In light of this, Unison’s six-year backpay claim should be considered a terrific deal for the Trust, a sentiment clearly not shared by NUH senior management as their last offer stood at three years and three months, backdated from August 2021 to the time of rebanding in November 2024. This deal was rejected by Unison members, 94% voting to strike.
NUH’s claim that it cannot be evidenced that workers carried out Band 3 work throughout Covid, has also angered and bewildered many healthcare assistants who risked their lives and those of their families providing essential services.
Workers on the picket line spoke passionately about feeling that their contributions had been deliberately ignored by management.
Neighbouring NHS Trusts in both Leicester and Northamptonshire have agreed six-year backpay deals. The disparity of treatment of staff across different NHS Trusts was in stark contrast to the solidarity of workers across the strike.
Socialist Party members attended both days. We have offered our PA system and megaphone to the union for use on the picket lines. Nottingham Socialist Party fully supports the strike and will continue to support the further strikes that are planned for 17, 22 and 28 April.
