Manchester Socialist Party
Hospital theatre workers at the Northern Care Alliance (NCA), covering four hospitals across Greater Manchester, took three further days of strike action in the last week of August – despite some desperate steps taken by their employer.
We heard from Unison reps on the picket line that, following the Trust’s declaration of a ‘critical incident’, members were pulled into offices and told their attendance on shifts the following week was required, and they should consider their professional registrations!
They were issued with a letter stating they had been designated ‘essential workers’. Workers were also instructed that they had to obtain a GP fit note from day one of sickness!
Strikers reported they had felt threatened and intimidated, but above all angry. We heard that their union had acted quickly with responses to the employer and detailed advice to members.
Despite the intimidation, the strike was strong. They are asking only to have their national terms and conditions (Agenda for Change) applied regarding pay rates for overtime. NCA theatre staff know that this issue is turning into disputes across the country.
There are already strikes taking place in Luton and Bedfordshire Trust, and other branches are organising. They wonder if that is why NCA bosses refer to “external forces” as the reason for withdrawal from local negotiations.
Picket conversations included the Channel 4 news article the previous week, about whistleblowing concerns around patient safety. Strikers told us that they see and escalate issues regularly. Their grievance already includes demands on the employer to ensure safe staffing levels, which in turn would reduce the demand for overtime.
They’re not asking for the moon – and taxing the billionaires who fancy a jolly there might provide the funding needed to pay these workers what their terms and conditions already state.
- unisonnca@nca.nhs.uk for solidarity messages
