Hospital staff in protest over new payment plans

Hospital staff in protest over new payment plans

13 July 2016

LOW paid health service staff staged a protest outside the Downe Hospital last week over changes to how they are paid.

Catering, portering, telephony, domestic, estates, transport and sewing room staff are angry at plans to pay them monthly instead of weekly in a change due to be implemented by the South Eastern Trust at the end of September.

Staff were joined in their protest by senior Down Community Health Committee officials and a number of local politicians. Also taking part were health workers who provide domicilary care in the community and those who work in local disability centres who will also be affected by the changes to how they are paid.

Unison official, Marion Ritchie, said the low paid staff are “deeply unhappy” and explained the proposed change from weekly to monthly pay will affect almost 1,400 employees across the Trust area. 

She confirmed trade union officials are urging Stormont Health Minister Michelle O’Neill to directly intervene “to halt this threatened imposition of change” and criticised health chiefs for not engaging in direct negotiations with Unison about changes to staff pay.

Mrs Ritchie said staff were “absolutely delighted” with the support they received from health campaigners and politicians during last week’s protest over the controversial plan to force low paid workers who have traditionally been paid weekly to receive their wages monthly.

The trade union official said health service staff wages are the responsibility of the Business Services Organisations and Unison is seeking a meeting with the organisation’s human resources director, Hugh McPoland, to discuss their concerns.

“We remain deeply concerned about this issue. The proposal to move from weekly to monthly pay impacts on around 4,500 staff across Northern Ireland’s health trusts except the Western where all employees are already paid monthly,” said Mrs Ritchie.

She added: “We are urging the health minister to intervene to halt this threatened imposition of change which will enable Unison and other trade unions at regional level reasonable time to secure and complete negotiations via membership-led agreement on the disputed pay issues.”

The South Eastern Trust said all staff, with the exception of bank staff staff within the health and social care system, will be paid monthly. The organisation said the change from weekly to monthly is required to ensure payroll arrangements operate more efficiently and effectively.

The Trust said it acknowledges that the transition from weekly/fortnightly to monthly pay arrangements may be difficult for staff and is committed to mitigating the impact on them.