Nearly 300 cleaning and catering staff at North Middlesex University Hospital will be brought back in-house following a UNISON campaign.
The workers, employed on zero hours contracts by Medirest, have been working under worse terms and conditions compared to colleagues directly employed by the NHS.
The trust has also agreed a commitment to increase pay for portering staff, who will receive the London living wage from 1 September 2023.
UNISON North Middlesex Hospital branch secretary Paula Ward said: “UNISON have been in talks with the trust regarding bringing this service back in-house for over a year, and we welcome the decision made.
“The campaign isn’t over yet however. Whilst we welcome the trust’s commitment to pay the London living wage for portering staff, UNISON will continue fighting for all staff to be in-house.
“We look forward to working in partnership with the trust to finalise a transfer date and further details.”
UNISON representative Abdi Nur has worked as a domestic at North Middlesex Hospital for five years. He said members are “delighted” that they will now receive sick pay and holiday pay as NHS staff.
“This is life-changing for many of us. We feel more valued and motivated to work here. It’s a huge achievement. We wanted this for such a long time, and now we’re so happy the time has come.”
The article Insourcing win at North Middlesex University Hospital first appeared on the UNISON National site.
Comments are closed.