Press release on behalf of Keep Our NHS Public – for immediate use
Keep Our NHS Public supports the latest efforts by workers union United Voices of the World (UVW) on behalf of staff at St George’s university Medical School, to obtain equal pay and conditions with university staff following them being outsourced to private company Noonan.
Since being outsourced, the security guards have suffered attacks on their terms and conditions. Their contracts are based now on statutory minimums whilst university staff enjoy generous holiday allowances, pensions and sick pay schemes.
Earlier today at the picket line, police unlawfully arrested a barrister and trade union official possibly in an effort to frustrate industrial action. The individuals in question were released moments later without charge. Read their press release here.
Keep Our NHS Public Co-Chair Dr Tony O’Sullivan will be speaking in support of striking workers at the picket line tomorrow morning at 9am. Union UVW have also had the support of both Keep Our NHS Public and Health Campaigns Together recently when they supported striking workers at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington. In a similar situation there, the local NHS trust were refusing to grant them equality with NHS workers and treating them very poorly.
Dr John Lister, Secretary of Keep Our NHS Public says:
“Serious studies have shown that the only benefit from privatisation is the possibility of a cash saving – at the expense of low-paid staff, and at the risk of fragmenting the ward teams which are the front line for the quality of patient care. There is ample evidence that privatisation of non-clinical services weakens any possibility of teamwork and improving morale. There is a strong case for investment to bring hard-working but in many cases under-rewarded cleaning and catering staff back in-house, and the Trust itself ‘taking back control’ and accepting its responsibility for the improvement of support services. Treating support staff with respect, and working with them to develop high quality, in-house services can in turn help to create a positive and supportive environment for the crucial task of recruitment, retention and further training of nurses, other professionals and medical staff. It can only assist the Trust in its professed aim of delivering the highest quality patient care in a safe and comfortable environment.”
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Spokespeople are available for broadcast interview. Contact Keep Our NHS Public press officer Samantha Wathen on [email protected] or call 07776047472