Dozens of infection control workers at a major hospital will strike later this month in a dispute over pay.
The workers who form the ‘rapid response team’ at Guys and St Thomas’ hospitals in Lambeth will walk out for five days from January 27, to 31, according to union Unite.
The team clean highly infectious disease areas in the hospitals to stop the spread of contagious illnesses.
According to Unite, the hospital staff have been denied the new national minimum wage which is set to rise to £12.21 an hour in April.
As band two workers, their base pay is currently just £12.08 an hour. They receive an additional £2.77 an hour from High Cost Area Supplements (HCAS) which are payments made to NHS staff who work in London to help with the cost of living.
Unite regional officer Tabusam Ahmed said: “Our members are rightly furious about the situation they’ve found themselves in.
“Working all times of day and night in dangerous and unpleasant environments to keep hospitals clean and safe of the most infectious and contagious diseases.
“And yet they are told they aren’t valued and that they will remain on the lowest pay band.”
According to the union, workers have also reported a lack of access to sanitisation areas to clean themselves thoroughly after working, denied permanent contracts and refused overtime pay to help cover staff shortages.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “These are some of the most valuable workers in the NHS doing unseen work to keep patients and other staff safe.
They work in dangerous, infectious areas of the hospital and provide a cleaning service to keep disease outbreaks under control. Yet they are being treated with disdain by the trust.
“For these workers to not be able to clean themselves properly after finishing work and then to be told their pay is falling below the minimum wage is an absolute disgrace.”
Unite has warned that highly infectious sections, rooms or wards at Guys and St Thomas’ may be forced to close due to the strike.
A spokeswoman for Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are disappointed that Unite have called these strikes while constructive talks are ongoing. We would urge them to call off this action so we can continue making progress.
“The hospital will continue to be safe for our patients and staff if the industrial action goes ahead.”
Pictured top: St Thomas Hospital (Picture: Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Trust)