Dozens of staff at a mental health unit are striking in an escalation of an ongoing pay row.
Bosses at the trade union Unite claim Newham Centre for Mental Health workers employed by Grosvenor Facilities Management (GFM) are putting up with ‘poverty pay’ and earn less than “colleagues doing the same role on the same site who are directly employed by the NHS” without the same terms and conditions.
Unite members began their walk-out on Monday (17 November) and are not expected to return to work until 30 November - before striking again from 8 December until 5 January. This comes after three previous rounds of industrial action in September and October in response to the pay dispute.
According to Unite, GFM has refused to enter talks facilitated by conciliation service Acas and has not come to a union recognition agreement.
The union says GFM has brought in staff from other services or contracted agency and catering staff to cover the absences caused by the strikes rather than engaging in discussions ‘constructively’.
The site’s canteen had to close during early strike days, and recent health and safety inspections shared with East London Foundation Trust found clinical waste had been improperly disposed of during this time.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “GFM is acting in an appalling manner. Not only is it raking in millions off of the taxpayer as part of its outsourcing contract with the NHS, it is failing to pay its workers the same as colleagues doing the same role on the same site who are directly employed by the NHS.
“It is clear that short-changing its own staff is how GFM is generating even more profit and Unite will not stand for it.”
Unite regional officer Gary Boodhna said: “Despite its substantial profits, GFM has the audacity to ask a cash-strapped NHS for more money.
“While GFM [claims] the contract would be ‘unprofitable,’ if it met our members’ demands, the reality is that company accounts clearly show that they have already extracted significant profit from the NHS and they can clearly afford to pay up.
“Our members will have the full backing of their union in this dispute.”
The Newham Centre for Mental Health is located at the rear of the Newham University Hospital site and provides round-the-clock inpatient care for people with mental health problems.
The Newham Citizen has contacted GFM for comment.
