Hundreds of health workers in the Swansea Bay area could soon be on strike in a row over pay, says UNISON today (Thursday)
A ballot of more than 700 healthcare support workers employed by the Swansea Bay University Health Board opens on today (Thursday 17 October) and closes on 14 November.
The staff, who work at sites including Morriston and Singleton Hospitals in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot Hospital in Port Talbot, say they have been underpaid for their work.
According to NHS guidance, healthcare assistants on salary band 2 should only be providing personal care such as bathing and feeding patients.
However, most of the support staff at the Swansea Bay hospitals are routinely undertaking clinical tasks such as monitoring blood, performing electrocardiogram tests and inserting cannulas, says UNISON.
UNISON Cymru regional organiser Lianne Owen said: “Healthcare support workers are some of the lowest paid staff in the NHS, yet they are routinely expected to carry out duties they’re not being paid for.
“Nobody wants to see strike action, so Swansea Bay University Health Board needs to do the right thing and start paying its staff fairly.”
Healthcare support worker and UNISON rep at Neath Port Talbot Hospital Hollie Arnold said: “We love our jobs, but we want to be paid properly for the work we do. Our managers have to stop taking us for granted and better value the skilled work we do.”
– Band 2 clinical support workers should only undertake personal care duties, according to NHS guidance.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
