Brighton hospital staff 'not paid properly' by Sodexo

Non-medical staff at a hospital in Sussex have not been paid properly since a private company took over the contract, according to a union.

The GMB union said cleaners, porters and caterers at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Brighton, have had issues with contractor Sodexo.

Staff should be paid weekly, however, some have been missing extra hours and basic pay.

Sodexo said it was "committed to resolving any pay issues".

Mark Turner, from the GMB, said staff have had to queue at the company's office to get emergency cash for the last two paydays.

'Low paid workers'

"It's been horrendous, there's no other word for it," he said.

"There has not been one week since the company took over where all the staff have been paid.

"Payments used to be made fortnightly, the company wanted to pay them weekly and were confident they could do that.

"These are low paid workers who have their bills like the rest of us."

A spokeswoman for Sodexo said: "We remain committed to resolving any pay issues as quickly as possible through our on-site payroll clinic and are communicating directly with our employees to keep them informed.

"We have made cash and BACS payments available at all times and have made immediate payments based on individual preferences."

The hospital said it was "monitoring the situation" closely and was in regular contact with Sodexo.