The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
wait goes on for staff and patients
Two steps forward, one step back as NHS and Unite crisis talks are watered down
Hundreds of NHS staff remain in limbo, despite a sliver of progress towards crisis talks aimed at ending strike action at Tayside hospitals.
It took fevered overnight negotiations between union bosses and the Scottish Government to preserve any hope of ending industrial action at Ninewells and Royal Victoria in Dundee.
But while Unite eventually agreed to proceed with mediation just hours after ruling out participation, The Courier understands the talks have been watered down.
Far from seeing the two warring parties begin negotiations, they will simply see union bosses and NHS Tayside make representations to “define the scope” of future talks.
They are unlikely to have any dialogue and the process could still lead to an impasse, with the means of breaking the deadlock still unknown.
Health chiefs had agreed to take part in a more detailed mediation process led by the Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee (Stac), which exists to negotiate issues relating to NHS Scotland, but its make-up did not find favour with the union.
Nine weeks of industrial action have taken their toll on the 120 hospital porters and their families forced to rely on handouts to survive with their wages docked.
Behind the scenes at Ninewells and Royal Victoria it is understood that the 200 or more colleagues who have been volunteering to take on their responsibilities have become fatigued by their dual roles.
Speaking to The Courier, Unite’s regional organiser Colin Coupar said he had worked hard to negotiate a way forward.
“We had overnight talks with the Scottish Government and, although the process is not as previously proposed, it is something that we can live with,” Mr Coupar said.
“It would have been churlish simply to refuse to speak.
“There has been a tweak in what was proposed and we will now meet with the sole purpose of defining the terms of reference for Stac’s involvement.”
A date for that first meeting has yet to be set.
Scotland’s Health Minister Shona Robison said the need to protect patients demanded a swift end to the increasingly bitter dispute.
“Leading members from the Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee have offered to look at the basis of this dispute and bring a new and independent perspective to the table,” she said.
“I’m pleased to see that both Unite and NHS Tayside have agreed to have initial discussions with Stac about the scope of a potential review.
“This is positive progress and I would encourage both parties to engage fully in this process.
“Resolving this dispute will require compromise on both sides.
“Finding a solution to this situation is in the best interests of patients at NHS Tayside and so both parties need to get back around the table to reach some form of agreement.”
Industrial action has been ongoing since the beginning of March.
It relates to allegations that staff have been underpaid for a decade and are owed £6 million in back pay. This is denied by NHS Tayside.