Hospital car parking fees victory for low-pay staff
THOUSANDS of NHS hospital staff are to receive car parking refunds in a landmark victory.
Hospital bosses have agreed to hand back the money after unions representing 6,000 health workers challenged the rip-off charges.
Union leaders claim some workers could now get up to £800 each backdated to last August when the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust scrapped a pledge of free parking during the pandemic.
Public services union Unison says the foundation had also agreed in principle to suspend further charges until June.
The U-turn could pave the way for similar refunds by other NHS trusts.
BACKING
The Department for Health told all hospitals last March that they would get immediate financial backing for free parking.
But some cash-strapped trusts reimposed charges during the summer after deciding to use the extra funding elsewhere.
Unison says low-salary staff were paying upwards of £100 a month. University Hospitals Birmingham disputed that, saying staff pay up to £40 a month.
Unison’s Chanel Willis said: “These charges were unfair, inappropriate and essentially a tax on staff.”
The trust declined to comment yesterday.