Union plea to axe Serco deal

A union has urged health bosses to scrap out-sourced contracts to ensure the lowest-paid staff receive fair wages.

GMB has issued a plea to East Kent Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust (EKHUFT) to axe its contract with Serco.

The union said staff working for the private company – including porters, domestic staff and caterers – will not receive the recent payrise promised by the NHS.

Frank Macklin, GMB regional organiser, explained: “People working for Serco under the East Kent Hospitals contract deserve better than the way they are currently being treated by Serco.

“Some staff are paid on NHS Agenda for Change terms and conditions and pay rates, but Serco are refusing to honour this increase in pay.

“We have written to the trust chief executive Matthew Kershaw asking that the trust end its contract with Serco and bring these extremely hard working professionals back in house.

“We have been left feeling disgusted and saddened that Mr Kershaw has chosen to ignore our letter and not respond.”

A spokesman for East Kent Hospitals Trust confirmed Mr Kershaw has received the GMB letter and sent a reply.

Gary Palmer, GMB regional NHS campaigns organiser, added: “This latest failure to pay some of the lowest paid staff their hard earned NHS pay award is clearly an indication that Serco see the NHS as their own organisational fruit machine.

“A fruit machine, as far as they are concerned, which pays out a jackpot to them time after time.

“If you can get away with not implementing a real living wage or paying Agenda for change terms and conditions including pay rises, all the better for Serco and their shareholders regardless of the cost to hard working staff. The failures of Serco to implement NHS pay rises is not acceptable.”

Lesley Juett, Serco contract director: said: “We believe strongly in ensuring colleagues are rewarded fairly in line with their contracts and do not recognise the GMB’s assertions.

“All our pay rates will be increased at least in line with the Agenda for Change uplifts from 1 April and we’ll be writing to colleagues to confirm their new rates of pay over the coming weeks.”

A spokesman for East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKHUFT) said Mr Kershaw has replied to the GMB’s letter.

The GMB said Serco workers will not receive the same payrise as trust staff