Airedale NHS microbiology workers responsible for carrying out diagnostic tests at the West Yorkshire hospital are taking three days of strike action from 9 – 11 February in a dispute about pay and additional work. The Unite members who carry out the diagnostic tests say that Airedale NHS Foundation Trust has failed to address the fact that they are on the pay band below what they should be for the work they carry out.
Unite says that the situation has been further aggravated by the trust agreeing that the microbiology workers should undertake extra work for another trust, increasing the number of call outs during nights and weekends. As a result, out of hours rotas have been changed without consultation or regard to current workloads.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Airedale trust’s leadership are treating these staff disgracefully. They are already being paid too little, and now the trust is demanding they take on out-of-hours work on top of heavy existing workloads. These workers are entirely right to strike and have Unite’s full support.”
The workers previously took strike action from 18 – 20 December and will take action for a third time from 18 – 20 February unless a satisfactory agreement is reached.
Unite regional officer Chris Daly said: “The trust cannot keep burying its head in the sand – strikes will not end until a deal that rectifies the pay injustice microbiology workers are suffering is put forward. Industrial action can still be avoided but that will require the trust to offer a fair deal.”
For the Trust’s management, Mark Harrison director for integrated pathology solutions said: “Our commitment is to resolve this dispute remains and we will continue to work in partnership with Unite to do so.”