Lancashire NHS workers striking for three days
Cleaners at three NHS health centres are stating they've been underpaid
Cleaners employed by private firm Mitie at three NHS health centres in East Lancashire are striking for a further three days from today (Thursday), says UNISON.
The domestics and their supervisors will join pickets outside their workplaces in Blackburn, Rossendale and Burnley today, tomorrow and Monday.
They are walking out after being underpaid consistently, the union says.
The workers are also still reportedly awaiting a £1,655 covid recovery payment awarded to other health workers in 2023.
UNISON North West regional organiser Sam Doherty said the underpayment issues began when the cleaning contract was previously with another privatised company, OCS. Problems continued when the cleaners were transferred to Mitie.
He said: “Mitie was warned the strike action would escalate if the company continued to get its sums wrong, but it has done nothing to resolve these issues.
“Staff are out of pocket by a considerable sum and regularly struggle to cover essential costs like food and bills while their employer profits at their expense.”