Hospital staff protest over 'two-tier' pay system

NHS porters, cleaners and nurses working at Airedale Hospital gathered with supporters for a pre-strike protest

Hospital workers and supporters have staged a protest in anger at being treated like "second-class citizens" over differing pay and conditions, ahead of a full walkout on Friday.

More than 150 Airedale Hospital workers are set to strike on 12, 15 and 16 September, as part of the dispute, which relates to jobs which have been outsourced to an NHS subsidiary company, AGH Solutions.

Sterile services assistant Gemma Williamson, who joined the protest, said: "We all work in the same building. We all sleep, eat and breathe the NHS. Treat us the same and pay us the same."

AGH Solutions said it remained "hopeful" of a resolution to the dispute before the walkout.

Porters, domestic workers, catering and security staff at the Keighley hospital are employed by AGH Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, which staff say does not honour NHS terms and conditions, including pensions, sick pay rates, annual leave and Sunday working enhancements.

Most NHS staff are paid under Agenda for Change, a national pay and terms and conditions system introduced in 2004, which assigns jobs under one of nine pay bands based on an evaluation scheme.

Domestic supervisor Adele Ogden, porter Bradley Moorcroft and sterile services nurse Gemma Williamson were joined by Steve Worsencroft, who works for the subsidiary company AGH Solutions

Among those protesting were some who are already on the national contracts but who want to see those conditions extended to all colleagues.

Ms Williamson said the perceived different treatment of staff had often led to "animosity" and low morale.

"Everybody that comes here that does their job, first and foremost, we come here for the benefit of the patients," she said.

"We want to do our job to the best of our ability. But we should all be treated the same and paid the same - equal pay for equal work."

Bradley Moorcroft, a porter employed by AGH Solutions, described the impact on his working life.

"There's a huge difference in pension contributions, sick pay and holiday entitlement," he said.

"Over a whole year it would account to thousands of pounds we should rightfully have for doing the same work as our NHS colleagues. All we want is equality."

The union representing staff, GMB, accused the Airedale trust of creating a "two-tier" system.

Joe Wheatley, the union's regional organiser, said: "NHS workers who deliver fantastic service for everyone are paid at NHS rates.

"And then you've got individuals who are paid at less than NHS rates."

He said hospital bosses were using a legal "loophole" and had "found a way to make money by taking it away from workers".

'Contingency plans'

The roles of the affected staff were moved to AGH Solutions, which was set up in 2018 by the trust.

Dennis Kentrop, managing director of AGH Solutions, insisted the firm offered "very competitive" pay, terms and conditions as well as "flexibility" for skilled workers compared to "unbending" NHS pay terms.

He said: "We remain committed to continually improving AGH Solutions Limited as a place to work and, following recent negotiations with GMB, we further improved upon our pay, terms and conditions proposal.

"I remain hopeful that we can work with the GMB to resolve this before 12 September.

"However, should industrial action take place, we have contingency plans to maintain the services that we provide to Airedale NHS Foundation Trust."

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