Barts Health NHS Trust has brought its outsourced linen and laundry workers onto NHS terms and conditions and will receive a 17% pay increase after the trade union Unite secured an agreement.
The 29 workers, a high proportion of whom are from ethnic minorities, employed by the private provider Synergy will be transferred onto the Agenda for Change NHS terms and conditions from 1 May 2023. The workers have also elected five union representatives across the five hospitals that make up the trust.
According to the union, the work remains outsourced due to insufficient laundry rooms at the trust, but despite this, staff will receive the benefits of NHS terms and conditions.
Sharon Graham, general secretary at Unite, said: “Unite has secured another victory for outsourced workers at Barts. Not only will workers get a pay boost up to 17%, they will also get NHS terms and conditions going forward. This agreement is yet another example of Unite winning on jobs, pay and conditions.
Tabusam Ahmed, regional officer at Unite, added: “Unite is successfully building on the earlier victory to bring 1,800 workers who were employed by Serco into NHS employment. The union has now struck another blow against the race to the bottom in the NHS. This is a clear message to other NHS employers, Unite will continue to campaign to bring outsourced workers back into NHS employment.”
In March this year, Unite struck a landmark agreement with Barts to bring 1,800 NHS workers employed by the outsourcer Serco into NHS employment. The first tranche of employees were transferred on 1 November and all porters at the five hospitals will be transferred on 1 February. The remaining staff are due to transfer on 1 May 2023.
Synergy was contacted for comment prior to publication.