Union protest at Enfield Hospital over redundancies and wage cuts on Friday 29 September

NHS

More union protest at North Middlesex Hospital over hospital redundancies and wage cuts on Friday 29 September

Following a demonstration over redundancies staff at Enfield’s North Middlesex Hospital, the workers union GMB are upping the stakes in the fight to save hospital workers from being made redundant and to stop savage wage cuts to staff.

There will be a further protest by the workers outside North Middlesex Hospital, Sterling Way, Enfield, London N18 1QX on Friday 29 September starting at 12 noon.

Following an announcement in August by multinational hospital giant Medirest that 10% of the portering staff were to be thrown on the scrap heap, GMB vowed to fight all of the redundancies which will see patients left with less porters to assist them and the hospital staff. However, the corporate giant now seeks to make more profit by reducing payment for the workers much needed breaks.  

A protest by GMB members of Medirest, which includes cleaners and porters, will take place outside the North Middlesex Hospital entrance where public and workers will be met with demonstrators and given leaflets. Also a giant rat will highlight how multinational fat cats are viewed by GMB.

One Enfield porter, who wishes to remain anonymous, said “we know that patients can wait a long time for a porter when we are busy a lot of the time, but how can reducing our numbers say that this will not happen in the future? I have three young children and cannot afford to lose £1,000 a year from my wages. Who can?  

Michael Dooley, GMB local representative said

“Portering is a hard job, often the unseen force at the centre of every hospital, an unappreciated unsung group of people who if you ask any sick patent are akin to gentle guardians, a reassuring presence, but with Medirest it appears that only pound notes matter when it comes to the staff that care for our patients.

“Patients are not going to benefit by reducing the number of porters? This is all about making money for the fat cats at Medirest and if those fat cats think that GMB are going to sit back and see our members , many on minimum wage , slave even harder while patients could suffer then they are sadly mistaken.  Cuts in wages could be over £1,000 a year for some workers.

“The Medirest workers, many who are local people have recently been transferred from another facility company who they had no major problems with. The new company, Medirest, are intent on making what they call ‘efficiency changes’ but what GMB say are less to do with efficiency and more to do with making money for corporate shareholders who have no connection with Enfield.
Local people of Enfield deserve more than cuts to their hospital staff, when, at a time in London emergency services are under pressure, patients’ needs should be second to corporate profit.”

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Contact: Michael Dooley email: Michael.dooley@hotmail.co.uk, telephone:  07773 061798

Notes to Editors:

Contact the Press and Media department for photos on 020 8457 4143 or email olivia.pryle@gmb.org.uk