Hospital Workers strike for pay and respect

Nearly 200 hospital service workers went on strike this morning at 6:00 for a 24 hour period protesting low-wages and lack of sufficient sick pay, according to the Guardian. The strike was organised by the GMB trade union after negotiations with the US outsourcing company Aramark could not be resolved.

The hospital employees are paid £7.48 an hour, well below the living wage in London, and are only given 10 days of sick pay each year. Employees are asking for a minimum wage of £10 an hour. GMB has declined two of Aramark’s offers during negotiations, the last of which would only raise wages 40p an hour.

The GMB organiser of the strike Nadine Houghton stated that the workers on strike are “predominantly migrant workers, from various African countries, South American countries … and there’s a couple of Eastern European workers.” Women and minorities always face more pay discrimination than white males and the GMB union will continue to strike if necessary to support the employees who deserve a living wage.

In response Aramark commented:

It is disappointing that the GMB rejected our fair and comprehensive offer and that some members plan to exercise their right to action in the form of a strike.”

Despite Aramark’s comments the strikers are still hopeful for change. Houghton stated that:

Where there’s the will for union to organizers workers in these sorts of industries, it can be done ... We can still achieve things.”

The service division of any hospital covers some of the most backbreaking work for very long periods of time. Often these individuals are the unseen army that keep a hospital clean and running smoothly.

They should without doubt be better respected and be paid at least the living wage with reasonable holiday entitlements.

Mary Schlichte