The second round of strikes in Colchester has at times has seen well over 100 on the picket line. The photo above was taken just before a squad of security staff came along to intimidate, and to demand the UNISON sign van was moved.
Hundreds of staff at East Suffolk and North Essex FT are opposing the outsourcing of their jobs, announced by ESNEFT in April.
During the first week of strike action UNISON accused the Trust of putting patients at risk by bringing in “untrained strike-breakers” from hundreds of miles away and paying for their hotel accommodation, to disrupt the walkout by facilities management staff.
Staff were brought in from as far away as Manchester, Newcastle and Hull, and paid night shift rates of up to £27 an hour as the Trust tried to break the strike by cleaners, caterers and porters, Unison alleged. Rates paid for strikebreaking FM staff –up to £17 an hour for day rates – were more than a newly qualified nurse’s hourly rate.
ESNEFT are claiming the strikes are having no impact on services. But they long ago lost any reputation for honesty. Cover of a sort is being provided by other staff and by staff from OCS who provide services elsewhere in the Trust.
OCS are one of the bidders for the contract on offer so it will be interesting to see whether the regulatory authorities investigate whether providing support to break the strike has any consequences.
To remind Lowdown readers:-
ESNEFT planned the outsourcing change of policy in secret and have never engaged with their staff, their managers or staff representatives.
- They never engaged with staff despite the requirements in the NHS Constitution.
- They agreed a Business Case as cover – a case which failed to meet the most basic requirements.
- The case was only ever considered in secret meetings.
- They are continuing to refuse to discuss alternatives to outsourcing.
- They refuse to engage with their own Governing Body.
- They brought in managers specifically to carry out the outsourcing.
- They appear to be planning the change in Colchester with one of the bidders; hardly proper competition!
- They refuse to publish their Case.
- They refuse to accept that the government policy is to oppose outsourcing.
- They repeatedly fail to honestly disclose what is happening even to their own Board.
The latest position of ESNEFT is that no final decision will be taken until November – despite them saying the opposite in April. Once again the decision will be taken in secret, without any papers being made public and with no opportunity for anyone to challenge the management case.
It is time this nonsense was ended by either Ministers or NHS England telling ESNEFT that outsourcing of these jobs is against policy.
The Trust should work with their staff on improvements. If they defy the strikes and slog on and still fail to secure a value for money contract (as looks likely, given the government is outlawing the two tier workforce) then the Directors must to be held to account.
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