Unison Mid Yorkshire Health Branch Press release:
UNISON members working for Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in their campaign against compulsory redundancies and pay cuts.
The Admin and Clerical staff voted 88 % in favour of strike action and 96% in favour of action short of strike action.
UNISON Branch Secretary Adrian O’Malley said “This vote shows the anger our members are feeling at losing so many jobs and taking pay cuts of between £1500 and £3000 in the middle of a pay freeze and recession. They are particularly angry that while they are slashing jobs and pay to save between £1 and £2 million the Trust have handed a disgraceful £2.5 million over to management consultants Ernst and Young.
The workers balloted include Clerks, Receptionists, Medical Secretaries, Waiting List, Call Centre and other Admin staff working at Dewsbury, Pinderfields and Pontefract Hospitals and Community Clinics across the Wakefield and Pontefract district.
“The Trust Board have seriously underestimated the strength of feeling that exists within the Trust at this attempt to cut the pay of some of its lowest paid workers”.
Jim Bell, UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Organiser, added “despite notifying the Trust of the potential for industrial action over a month ago we have been stunned by the Trusts silence on this matter. Perhaps now that result has been declared they will belatedly enter into meaningful negotiations.”
The date of the strike action will be announced next week following meetings with the members.
For more information contact;
Mid Yorks UNISON on 01924 543114
Adrian O’Malley, UNISON Branch Secretary on 07954148796
Jim Bell, UNISON Regional Organiser on 07944191738
