Health union’s job-loss fears

WORRIED health workers are lobbying the Pennine Acute Trust board meeting today to voice their concerns about proposals to move certain functions overseas.

The Greater Manchester-based trust board will decide whether to move payroll, pensions and HR functions to Shared Business Services, a company formed by the Department of Health and Steria, a French multinational company. Almost half of SBS’s workforce is based in India. If the plan is agreed, there could be job losses at the Royal Oldham Hospital and North Manchester General Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary and Fairfield Hospital, Bury.

Kevin Lucas, Regional Organiser for UNISON – an NHS union – said: “The loss of jobs in Greater Manchester will be damaging for the local economy. Health Trusts should not be exploiting low wages in other countries to cut costs.”