Union demands end to 'poverty wages' for Calderdale NHS workers

Frontline NHS workers in Calderdale have demanded an end to the poverty wages they earn from an outsourced private healthcare company.

Staff who work at Calderdale Royal Hospital but who are employed by ISS, a private company that is contracted by Calderdale & Huddersfield Foundation Trust to run non-clinical services, are unionising with the GMB trade union to demand better wages.

At present, ISS only pay these staff members minimum wage.

At other local hospitals, such as Bradford, Leeds and Doncaster, workers in identical roles are paid £1.28per hour more at basic rate say the union.

Many workers at ISS likewise don’t receive weekend enhancements and are on a lower night rate than they would be if they worked at any of the hospitals listed above.

GMB members who work at ISS are demanding alignment with the NHS Pay rates, terms and conditions.

GMB Local Organiser, Joe Wheatley, said: “GMB members at ISS have put themselves at risk over the last two years; at risk of getting infected and at risk of infecting their family. ISS are showing a total disregard for the risks these workers have undertaken and only offering a slap-in-the-face to these workers as they keep them down on minimum wage.

"Our member’s demand to ISS is simple: we are NHS workers, we should be paid NHS wages.”

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