NHS workers on strike

NHS workers in six unions: Unison, Unite, GMB, Royal College of Midwives, Ucatt and BAOT went on strike for four hours this morning, the first NHS strike over pay for 30 years. Health workers are struggling to get by on their pay levels and the pay freeze has made this even worse, so the time has come for mass action!

Tyne and Wear

The number of strikers at Gateshead’s QE hospital was massively increased as scores of theatre staff joined the picket line. These strikers were predominantly women and were seething at the derisory pay offer.

Two of the theatre staff, Leanne Dent and Sarah Bone, told how they were basically sick of the way the government has run the NHS to the ground.

Both of them talked of regularly missing tea and dinner breaks. They were angry that although they put 100% into their work, they felt that this loyalty was not recognised. They both said “enough is enough!”

Richy Young, operating theatre Unison rep, was clearly encouraged by the good turnout on the picket line from his department.

He explained: “Trauma and emergency patients will be operated on, but no routine operations will be happening here this morning.”

He also told how the local Unison office had been overwhelmed with workers wanting to join the union, so they could go out on strike.

Newcastle

At Newcastle’s RVI the camera crew from the local BBC was filming a loud contingent of NHS workers. The mood here was buoyant.

One of the nurses, Linda Hobson, Unison branch secretary, said she was pleasantly surprised by the numbers on the picket line, including the excellent turnout from the Royal College of Midwives.

One of the strikers had badges from all the striking unions in order to show solidarity to everyone on the picket line.

At another entrance people passing by on their way to work clapped in support as they walked past the strikers.

There was also a good turnout at Newcastle’s Freeman hospital. Strikers here expressed the view that it was a shame that all of the public sector unions weren’t out on the same day. They all agreed with our Socialist Party leaflet calling for escalation of action.

Elaine Brunskill, Newcastle Socialist Party

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Bristol

I was greeted on the Royal College of Midwives’ picket line in Bristol by a striker informing me with a twinkle in her eye that ‘we’re all virgins here’. Another chipped in quickly to correct her: ‘We were, but we lost our virginity at 7am’.

The mood among the 30 or so women and men was buoyant and defiant. We need to come out again was a recurring refrain, as was the observation that ‘we all need to be out together’.

The confidence of the picket line grew as streams of cars went by with supportive hoots, while two pregnant women came across and expressed their admiration for the midwives’ professionalism and courage in braving the wet weather to stand up for ‘our NHS’.

Down at the 50-strong picket at the Bristol Royal Infirmary the mood was equally upbeat, until the local Labour parliamentary candidate came along. Trying to press the flesh she encountered a very angry male nurse who sent her scuttling away with a very colourful summary of what he and many of his colleagues felt about New Labour and the NHS.

It wasn’t her day, as she then approached me on the rebound and suffered a second bout of home truths. Her exasperated minder confided to me that he had feared this response and was trying to keep her at safety’s length. Then he bought a copy of the Socialist and took some TUSC material.

A young admin worker explained that her hourly rate was less than when she had worked in retail, prompting a visiting Unite local authority worker to jump in to say: ‘you should try living on my wage slip!” Both agreed that the race to the bottom is the norm for public sector workers and that only a united fightback can stem the attacks.

If the anger and understanding of these workers about what needs to be done was heard and practiced among the leadership of the TUC, the Tories would long ago have been toast.

Robin Clapp, Unite/SW001

Taunton

The Somerset branch of the Socialist Party stood proudly shoulder to shoulder with striking public sector workers on their picket lines at Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital (MPH) and Taunton’s ambulance station.

As paramedics, ambulance technicians and emergency care assistants all set up a picket line outside their work HQ, Andy Nickolls, Unison shop steward at Taunton ambulance station, spoke to the Socialist:
“The whole station is out on strike; It’s 100% solid and determined with a renewed level of confidence that I haven’t seen, since perhaps the 1980s.”
Andy emphasised: “We are refusing to answer all calls except for ‘life and limb’ cases such as heart attacks and road accidents. Managers are responding to other calls”.

The Socialist Party leaflets demanding an end to low pay and urging ‘a fight until we win’ went down very well, as they were enthusiastically snapped up and eagerly read by almost all pickets.

Nearly 100 strikers from Unite, Unison and the RCN formed quietly confident picket lines and an impromptu rally outside MPH.

In front of regional TV cameras, the rally culminated in a Somerset Socialist Party member proudly leading the very loud and equally determined chant of: “What do we want? A living wage! When do we want it? Now!”

Steve German

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North Staffs

Thousands of health workers took strike action across North Staffs today to send a clear message to the government that they are sick and tired of being overworked and underpaid.

“We are fed up of being ignored and this time we mean business” said one picket outside Bradwell hospital.

A paramedic at Hilton Road told us: “A 1% pay increase is nowhere near enough but this government won’t even give us that!”

There were around 250 pickets further up Hilton Road and hundreds more on the A34. The A34 is always busy but today it was also transformed into a sea of noise as passing drivers hooted their support for the hundreds of strikers at three separate picket lines along its route.

Many strikers and supporters that we spoke to across a number of picket lines agreed that we need to escalate this action. This is the message that all NHS workers should impress on their respective union leaders.

Andy Bentley

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Leeds

Socialist Party members in Leeds spoke with strikers across the two main hospitals, the Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) and St James (Jimmy’s).
Workers were clearly angry about pay, and rightly so, as many have faced increased hardship under the current pay freeze.

A Unison study found that one in five NHS staff had taken on second jobs just to cope with rising living costs. Salary levels across the board had dropped by 8-12%. It was clear however, when talking to workers that pay was just the start of the issues they face at work.

Porters within the Leeds trust had recently received a £1,200 decrease in their salary just to see three new managers employed on inflated salaries within their department.

This brings home the hypocrisy of the situation. Apparently there is no money for a pay rise for the majority, to afford the essentials in life, but money for inflated salaries of managers.

Many rightly made the link to the privatisation that is going on in the NHS, as being in line with the government agenda of creating a health care system for profit and not need.

The situation for the majority of NHS workers – porters, cleaners, maintenance staff, nurses, occupational therapists, etc – is dire. As the NHS is handed an ever tightening budget pressures are increasing on every aspect of work as staff attempt to provide essential services to the public.

NHS staff told us of the increasing workload with often dangerous staffing levels. Bullying was a commonplace in many stories; One worker was told that he could not take sick leave to attend much needed hospital appointments, but instead had to use his limited annual leave.

Neither the government, nor the NHS management can hold back the anger that is being expressed amongst NHS staff at the minute.

Ben Mayor, Leeds Socialist Party.

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East London

Ambulance workers were out in force on their picket line at the Poplar ambulance centre. They were pleased to see solidarity from Queen Mary University Socialist Students, TUSC and the Socialist Party.

Pickets commented that it was a surprise to see how much support they have from the public. All we spoke to were determined to take further action to defend their pay claim.

Ambulance staff are angry that some proposals could mean newly trained paramedics could start on as low as £10 an hour, and that the pay squeeze is pricing them out of London, particularly new staff.

“I know TUSC, I voted for you in Newham”, said one picket. He and several others signed the TUSC letter to both Tower Hamlets MPs [for the TUSC letter, see: general-election-planning-model-letter].

Most commented that what we are asking for is the absolute least any Labour MP should be doing.

After letters asking them to send a message of support to strikers, emails and being tweeted a photo of the picket line at Mile End hospital, Jim Fitzpatrick MP eventually tweeted that strikers had his sympathy. What they should have had was his support.

The other Tower Hamlets MP, Rushanara Ali, who recently abstained from the parliamentary vote on air attacks on ISIS in Iraq, continued sitting on the fence by not replying one way or the other.

Meanwhile on the picket line at Mile End hospital TUSC had a higher profile than Labour. The TUSC banner brought by one of the pickets was highly visible and two of the pickets had stood as TUSC candidates in the local elections.

Several members of the Unite branch had already signed TUSC’s letter to local MPs and several more added their names today.

Naomi Byron

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Chorley

A very noisy and enthusiastic picket of 150 Chorley hospital staff won tremendous support from the public. Almost every passing vehicle – lorries, vans, old cars, new cars, even a local farmer on a tractor – peeped their horns in support of their strike for a pay rise.

Unison and Unite members were out in force with their banners and placards, and were enthusiastically supported by the Trades Council’s ‘defend the hospital’ campaign.

Its secretary and Unite activist, Andy Birchall, gave his full support throughout the four-hour strike, lending practical support and having built close links with the hospital’s shop stewards through the Trades Council’s ongoing campaign.

Chorley hospital has a treasured place in the hearts and history of the local community, who – as past local events have shown – will fully support all actions to protect their local hospital, whether in terms of opposing cuts and privatisation or supporting the staff in the excellent service they provide to local people.

This goes for any further strikes, as well as a demonstration and mass protest in the town which is urgently needed to help defend the service.

Dave Beale

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Salford

Salford Royal is David Cameron’s favourite NHS hospital. He has been a regular visitor as prime minister, and appointed the trust’s chief executive Sir David Dalton to head one of his reviews. Sadly the staff don’t feel the same way about David Cameron!

Dozens of staff formed picket lines at various hospital entrances and chanted solidly from 7am until five minutes before the end of the strike.

Apart from ‘Fair Pay Now’ and ‘Whose NHS? Our NHS!’, a popular cry was ‘Get Cameron Out!’. Pickets even built a bonfire ready for his next visit.

A wide cross-section of staff were involved. A big response to the strike from the porters ensured significant impact on the hospital. Their confidence boosted by the spirit on the picket and the constant hooting from commuters driving past, six strikers, some of whom had previously been intending to work, are now going to London for the TUC demo on 18th October.

Nine Socialist Party members were on the picket line and proudly carried the banner of Salford against Cuts and Salford TUSC.

A Unison and Socialist Party member at Salford Royal Foundation Trust

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The Socialist Party says:

• End the pay freeze! For a living wage for all NHS workers. No attacks on NHS workers’ pensions or conditions
• Axe the Health and Social Care Act!
• No cuts, closures or job losses in the NHS
• Kick big business and the market out of the NHS. End the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and refuse to pay the debt. Bring privatised services, including in social care, back into the public sector with all workers receiving proper training, and NHS pay, terms and conditions
• No cuts disguised as mergers or ‘reorganisation’
• For a comprehensive, high-quality NHS, under democratic control, with care free at the point of use – a socialist NHS
• Nationalise the pharmaceutical companies under democratic control and integrate them into the NHS
• Build a new mass workers’ party to defend the NHS and fight all cuts and privatisation
• For mass action to defend the NHS, with trade union strike action at its heart