ISS Staff at Woolwich Hospital To Go On Strike

From Monday, 200 GMB union members employed by ISS at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich will go on a five-day strike, in response to the long running dispute over the two-tier workforce. The continuous strike action will commence at 6am on Monday morning and will end at 6pm Friday 13th March.

More than 200 GMB members are employed by ISS at the hospital as cleaners, security, ward hostesses, caterers, on the switchboard and as porters.

GMB members have already held five days of strike action on 25th and 26th December, 24th and 25th November and on 8th October. Talks on 18th December did result in movement by the company but as yet no settlement has been reached.

They are staging the protest, as they want the same pay rates, weekend enhancements and unsocial hours rates as the staff directly employed by the NHS Trust.

The lowest rate for directly employed staff is £7.33 per hour which moves in yearly increments to £7.51 and £7.69 under the current NHS pay progression system. However, according to GMB, ISS workers are paid between £7.10 and £7.32 per hour.

GMB say that ISS staff who work unsocial hours get between 90p - £2.05 per hour, but as direct staff they would be entitled to time and a half.

Nadine Houghton, GMB Regional Officer, said: “GMB members employed by ISS are now more determined than ever. They are not prepared to give up until they secure what is rightfully theirs – the proper rate for the job and an end to the two-tier workforce at the hospital.

“Our member’s demands are just and fair, quite simply, why should they get less than their equivalents who are employed directly by the NHS, just by virtue of the fact they work for a private contractor that seeks to make a profit out of our NHS?”

Later this week GMB will announce details of actions that will accompany the strike. This will include a march through Woolwich to the hospital and a lobby of Parliament where we will be linking up with other trade unions that have been involved in recent disputes with ISS to meet with MP's in the House of Commons. The members will be able to talk about their experiences of working for ISS but also raise the wider question of the impact of outsourcing in the public sector on wages and service quality.

However, a statement from an ISS spokesman said: “ISS is disappointed that the single trades union has decided to embark upon this action. The company has constantly maintained its position and have clearly demonstrated to all the trades unions involved at the hospital that all funding received relating to employee terms and conditions have been passed, in full, to their members.

“It is therefore a matter of regret that we still see GMB continue to induce their members to take industrial action, adding further inconvenience for the patients and families that use QEH.”