Lancashire hospital staff to strike over withheld holiday pay
Biomedical scientists in Blackburn and Burnley demand entitled pay
Biomedical scientists at Blackburn and Burnley hospitals are set to take strike action this summer due to a dispute over unpaid holiday pay.
The Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust is in conflict with its staff following a refusal to pay holiday entitlements, despite an employment tribunal ruling in favour of an employee on this issue several years ago.
An unresolved dispute has resulted in thousands of pounds being owed to employees in the biomedical sciences department, who handle vital diagnostic work, including urgent and routine blood tests.
Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, said,
"This behaviour from the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust is nothing short of disgraceful. Staffing issues at the biomedical sciences laboratories have already put staff under strain, but the refusal to pay what staff are legally entitled to is adding insult to injury."
Strike action is scheduled for 15th-19th June, 22nd-26th June, 29th June-3rd July, and 6th-10th July, during which significant delays to tests and procedures are expected.
Unite regional officer Helen Flanagan commented on the situation, stating,
"Workers at these hospitals are at the end of their tether and have lost all confidence in management to resolve this issue. They have been left with no choice but to take strike action to get their legally entitled holiday pay."
The strike is anticipated to impact patients, creating delays, yet Flanagan stressed that this outcome is entirely the responsibility of trust management.
Staff pay in biomedicine at Blackburn is accounted for across varying shifts and by law, holiday pay should be calculated on the average of all earnings.