Join rally, sign petition or donate to help resist trust’s attack on terms and conditions that threatens pay and family life
Porters at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital have been on strike over the last month in defence of their pay and working conditions. The management of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust is trying to change the porters’ work rota from fixed shifts to rotating shifts. This will upend their lives by forcing them to work nights for some shifts and days for others.
To make matters worse, just two weeks before Christmas the hospital has sent the porters ‘fire and rehire’ letters, a tactic often used by employers to drive down pay or attack other hard-won terms and agreements. The porters and their union know this is the thin edge of the wedge in terms of their own jobs but are also fighting for other colleagues: if the porters are moved onto the new rota, then cleaners, catering staff and other mostly low-paid workers will be next.
What can you do to help?
🏥 Attend the Emergency Rally organised by unions in support of the porters on Sunday at 5pm via the Zoom link here, where Unite’s Howard Beckett – who won a vital victory for bin workers in the city – will be among the speakers. (Meeting ID: 845 1225 6326, passcode: 498337)
🏥 Pass a motion in solidarity with the strikers at your union branch
🏥 Donate to the strike fund (details for this will hopefully be at the rally)
🏥 Please circulate this article to as many people as possible!
NHS staff have put their lives on the line for us this year, now it’s our chance to show them how much we value and support them.
Saw this little game under Blair,when the Chaiman of the East Surrey NHS trust was caught bullying and mistreating nurses and ancillary staff.Thats what the Health business is about and we should have destroyed the “Market system donkeys years ago under Labour and backed off.instead..The unions need support from Labour and the public,its the only way to slow down the gradual process of NHS privatization that not even the Tory voters want.
I remember the health worker’s actions in the 70’s. They were well organised, militant and vocal. We won a few victories because we had public support. Even that disgusting, Liberal ,pervert Smith, went on a march. I think the support is still there. Those disputes, pickets and pamphlets invigorated me and I have been an activist ever since. Never knowingly missed a strike. Unfortunately, today I am reduced to heckling from my wheelchair. The struggle continues. Regards ☮️ wobbly X
I probably won’t be able to make the zoom thing tomorrow – would some kind person post a link here to the donations page?
Thanks!
These people were applauded by Johnson and the Cabinet for the work they did in the early days of the pandemic, putting their lives at risk to serve the NHS. Now their pay and conditions are being arbitrarily changed to their detriment. As my old granny used to say ” Eaten bread is soon forgotten” The Tories are a disgrace -completely without principle or decency.
Solidarity.
Always listen to your old folks. Thanks for that great quote. X
Its near time Unison got rid of the right wing leadership.I used to scorn at the RCN but not any more-They took the strike action and only belatarily and begrudingly did unison join in.Shame on them.
Unison is a disaster and with people like Emily Oldknow whose infantile behaviour and language are highlighted in the leaked antisemitism report – Pube head and smelly cow are two of her Favourite insults about those with whom she disagrees- in senior positions it is unlikely to get any better any time soon. Furthermore Management sides are well aware of the calibre of Oldknow and because they know she is an airhead albeit a nasty one,they walk all over Unison in negotiations. Who suffers – not Emily who still rakes in a huge member funded salary despite demonstrating that she is unfit to hold any senior position anywhere. The people who suffer are those like these porters who, as I said above, risked their lives at the height of the Covid crisis and are now facing detrimental changes to their terms and conditions.