Strike action for Mansfield and Ashfield health care workers over pay and conditions

The hospital workers, who are part of the GMB union, went on strike for 24 hours on Friday, May 17.

Medirest, a private health care provider at Nottinghamshire’s Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust, is facing backlash from workers due to what employees have deemed “less favourable terms and conditions” they receive compared to directly employed NHS staff.

Tensions escalated after NHS employees received a COVID recovery bonus payment, which striking Medirest workers said was not extended to staff at the hospitals employed by the company.

Cameron Mitchell, GMB Organiser, said: “Medirest workers work for a private health care provider within King’s Mill, Newark and Mansfield Community Hospital as part of the Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust.

“They don’t get sick pay entitlement. They only get statutory sick pay or a discretion of two weeks of sick pay.

“And they don’t get the same enhancements as NHS workers, which means as a result NHS staff on a Sunday who do the same job as these employees – are paid more than £10 an hour more.”

In response to strike action, a Medirest spokesperson said: “The eligibility criteria for this bonus payment is in the hands of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

“While we are pleased that some of our employees have been identified as eligible and are due to receive the bonus payment imminently, we recognise it is disappointing for those who do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria.

“All our employees received a separate pay uplift last year and have access to a range of employee benefits.

“We continue to maintain a regular dialogue with our people, the unions, and NHS Trusts.

“We are disappointed with GMB’s decision to proceed with industrial action.”

The Medirest spokesperson confirmed that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is responsible for the funding of and eligibility criteria for the non-consolidated bonus payment, and said unfortunately the department decided that it currently doesn’t include all outsourced workers.

The department published guidance in late 2023 that stated that those who are on “dynamically linked Agenda for Change contracts” were eligible for the for the non-consolidated bonus payment.

Medirest confirmed they have applied for this funding and were notified in April this was successful for this group of employees.

The DHSC has now granted that application and a Medirest spokesperson said they are set to receive the additional funding imminently and will be passing on the payment to those eligible employees as soon as possible – but unfortunately, this does not cover all employees

A Medirest spokesperson said they ensure that, regardless of their contract type, all people are paid in line with ‘Agenda for Change’ hourly base pay rates with a range of employee benefits.

Benefits include an access to a free meal whilst on duty, access to helping hands fund, health and wellbeing programmes.

During the coronavirus pandemic Medirest said they paid a six week “well and working” bonus for frontline staff.