Porters, cleaners and caterers at Airedale Hospital will now vote on new offer
GMB Union suspended its planned strike involving more than 150 NHS workers after the trust stepped in with a funding.
Porters, cleaners and caterers at Airedale Hospital, in Keighley, were due to walk out for 72 hours from midnight on Monday 19th July.
They are now voting on whether to accept the proposed offer. The result is due Friday, July 23 2021.
Cleaning, catering and portering services at the hospital were outsourced to a wholly owned subsidiary – AGH Solutions – in 2018.
Staff who were TUPE transferred have kept their NHS pay, terms and conditions – but new starters are paid on lower AGH solutions rates for doing the same job. In some cases, they are paid more than £9 an hour less.
Industrial action was called off after the NHS trust intervened and pledged to increase the funding available to pay the outsourced workers.
Rachel Dix, GMB Regional Organiser, said:
“This is a step in the right direction and a welcome move from the trust.
“GMB Union has suspended strike action following the talks.
“Workers at Airedale Hospital will now vote on the new deal – we expect the result on Friday.”
