More than 600 Barnsley Hospital workers to vote on strike action
Hundreds of hospital workers in South Yorkshire are voting on whether to take strike action.
More than 600 GMB union workers at Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have been balloted on whether to begin industrial action.
The ballot comes amid claims that the NHS trust has threatened workers with ‘fire and rehire’ as bosses try to introduced new contracts, allegedly removing all paid breaks and imposing longer unpaid breaks, which it is claimed will see staff working extra and longer shifts for no more pay.
A total of 2,000 workers are said to be affected, approximately half the workforce.
Those affected are said to include nurses, technicians and clerical workers.
Any who reject the change will be sacked and rehired on the worse contract, the GMB claims.
The indicative strike ballot began on Tuesday, January 27 and will close on Monday, February 2.
Rachel Dix, GMB organiser said: “These frontline NHS workers already work long hours in incredibly stressful jobs.
“This move from Barnsley Trust managers is a demoralising and unfair attack on their terms and conditions.
“GMB members have been absolutely clear they will not accept this attack on their well-earned break times and will stand up to the appalling threat of fire and rehire.
“It's time for Barnsley Trust to back down on these proposals before hospital services are badly disrupted.”
However, Barnsley Hospital have claimed that these proposals are in line with national NHS practices, and more than eight months of negations with staff have been held.
A spokesperson continued: “These proposals would bring the trust into line with almost all other NHS hospital Trusts and with the national NHS terms and conditions that were agreed some years ago by Trade Unions and the NHS. It would provide more staff on duty for patients and reduce reliance on temporary staff. Evidence shows this would improve patient care and safety, support staff wellbeing, reduce healthcare costs and improve staff retention.
“The trust has undertaken eight months of consultation with affected staff and trade unions and these discussions continue. The GMB has not notified the trust, as it is required to do, of its intention to undertake a ballot for industrial action.
“Staff wellbeing is a priority for the trust. Ensuring colleagues have adequate rest breaks is essential to mitigate fatigue and maintain health. We remain committed to appropriate breaks in line with best practice and national NHS terms and conditions.
“This process was driven by our commitment to fairness and consistency, addressing long-standing informal arrangements and variations in how breaks were taken across departments, which raised concerns about equity among other staff groups with unpaid breaks.”