GMB protest against poverty pay at Watford general hospital AGM Thursday 21 September
We hope the AGM will find time to consider our concerns and put things right says GMB London.
GMB, the union for hospital workers, will stage a protest at Watford General Hospital during the trusts Annual General Meeting at 5.00 pm on Thursday 21 September 2017. The protest will take place outside the cafeteria at Watford General Hospital, Vicarage Road, Watford, WD18 OHB where the AGM will be held.
GMB members working for multinational facilities provider Medirest will join local Watford people to protest against the Medirest treatment of their porters and cleaners.
Medirest staff are paid minimum wage and in recent months relations between the workforce and Medirest have reached melting point. One porter was suspended for 7 weeks when he rolled up his trousers during the baking summer heat. Two other porters were suspended when they complained of health and safety issues, coming in the wake of high profile demonstrations outside of the hospital by groups of Medirest workers complaining about minimum wage pay.
So far the hospital Trust who engage Medirest have not been involved with the troubles, however, GMB who represents the workers want to bring the matter to the attention of the AGM and ask the hospital to ensure that Medirest pay the rates for the job set out in the National Health Services pay rates.
Michael Dooley, GMB local representative said
“Porters are wheeling dead bodies for minimum wage, cleaners are told to clean vomit, urine and blood for minimum wage in an NHS hospital while down the road Lidl pay cleaners £9.75. It makes you wonder who really cares for the workers in these establishments.
“Medirest and the Trust know that GMB members would not want to put patients at risk by going on strike, so we need to find other ways to raise our grievances and this is why we hope the AGM will find time to consider our concerns and put things right.”
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Contact: Michael Dooley email: Michael.dooley@hotmail.co.uk, telephone: 07773 061798
