Hospital cleaners win wages battle

Reporter: RICHARD HOOTON
Date online: 28/11/2008

A POTENTIAL strike by cleaning staff at the Royal Oldham Hospital has been averted after a pay dispute was settled.

Workers for ISS Mediclean claimed they were owed back pay from two years ago.

They estimated up to 130 people were affected and owed up to £600 each, totalling a sum around £70,000.

One worker said they had received a letter from managers saying not enough money had been released by the NHS to pay them. She said Unison had become involved and the firm only backed down when the union said it was preparing to hold a strike ballot.

The cleaners had also been preparing to protest during breaks from work.

Annoyed

The worker said: “It has been about 12 months since we were first made aware of the situation.

“Then four months ago we were told we would get paid but they kept putting it back.

“People have been very annoyed. We are not on much money as it is.

“People have been getting into debt and borrowing money while waiting to receive the money.”

A spokesman for Pennine Acute Trust, which runs the Royal Oldham, said: “The trust has been working closely with ISS to resolve issues associated with the contract price for the domestic services provided to the trust.

“These have now been resolved and ISS as the employer of the staff in question has agreed to take all the necessary steps to ensure that monies due to their staff are processed immediately.

“Pennine Acute now considers that this matter is closed.”