Workers at Prospect Park Hospital in Reading employed by ISS Limited are celebrating after winning, for the second time, the right to be paid the same rates as their directly employed NHS colleagues.
Three years ago UNISON members campaigned and won a victory that would see ISS employees at Prospect Park Hospital get the same rates of pay as their colleagues who are employed by the NHS.
However, in 2021 these workers only received a 1.75% pay rise compared to the 3% awarded to NHS workers.
Staff at the hospital were understandably angry at their employer and decided to do something about it. Following well attended meetings with union members, UNISON submitted a collective grievance and ISS have now backed down and agreed to keep pay in line with the NHS’s Agenda for Change. Staff at the hospital will now receive the increase they were entitled to and it will be back dated to April 2021.
UNISON South East regional organiser Patrick Kenny said: “This is another important victory for workers in the NHS employed by private contractors like ISS. They are part of the NHS team and deserve the same rates of pay for the vital work they do.
“Almost all staff at Prospect Park Hospital are UNISON members and this win shows that where we are strong, we get results.
“The local UNISON stewards work incredibly hard to keep their workplace organised and are constantly in touch with members. They also ensure that all new starters understand the benefits of belonging to a trade union.
“UNISON has also agreed to more regular meetings with local management to ensure that this doesn’t happen again and that any issues are dealt with as soon as possible.”
