Outsourced staff at Newham Centre for Mental Health say they want to be paid on equal terms with those employed directly by the NHS, reports Nick Clark, Local Democracy Reporter

Striking facilities staff at Newham Centre for Mental Health (credit LDRS)

Outsourced facilities staff at an NHS mental health facility in Newham have gone on strike over pay.

Members of the Unite union want their employer, private contractor GFM, to pay them on equal terms with staff employed directly by the NHS.

One striker told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the staff had “had enough.”

She said: “That’s why they’ve come out to to voice our opinion. We want to get across to GFM that enough is enough.”

The strikers include porters, domestics, catering staff, gardeners and maintenance workers at the Newham Centre for Mental Health, next to Newham University Hospital.

Unite says that many are paid at below the London Living Wage of £13.85 an hour, which is recommended by the Living Wage Foundation charity.

Unite regional officer Gary Boodhna said the strikers wanted pay in line with terms and conditions agreed for staff employed directly by the NHS.

He said: “They do exactly the same job as other workers employed at Newham University Hospital. There’s no reason these workers can’t be paid the same as their colleagues.”

Unite says GFM has made more than £2million in profits over the last five years and that its parent company stands to make more than £200m from a contract to rebuild the hospital in 2002.

GFM says it has been in “continual discussions” with Unite over increasing pay for staff earning less than the London Living Wage. However it says discussions “cannot move forward” unless Unite provides “vital information” on how many members it has at the centre.

Several strikers said they also wanted to receive the same sick pay and bonuses for night and weekend work as directly-employed NHS staff.

They say GFM only pays statutory sick pay, which is £118.75 a week after three days off, meaning many feel they have to work even if they are ill.

One striker said: “When they are sick they still have to come to work because they don’t get paid, so it’s important for them to get that recognition.

“Night allowance is not paid – those who are working on the NHS contract get the benefits for doing the same job.”

GFM did not respond directly to questions about wages and sick pay, but said it was “commited to resolving any issues”.

A spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that Unite has decided to rush into strike action when they have failed to provide us with essential information about how many union members they have at Newham Centre for Mental Health, despite repeated requests since January.

“We cannot move forward with discussions and negotiations unless this, and other, vital information is provided – something they are aware of – and we remain ready to engage further once we receive this information.”

They added: “We’ve been in continual discussions with them since January and even in the past few days around increasing pay for colleagues receiving less than the London Living Wage, which we are addressing.

“We have also invested in recent months in improved facilities for our staff and we are committed to resolving any issues. We await the union’s response to our very reasonable questions.”

The strike began today (Monday 1st) and is set to finish on Friday (5th). Another strike is set to take place between Monday 15th and Sunday 21st September.

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