Latest news with #GMBUnion
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Strikes could spread after paramedics reject pay deal
Strikes could spread further after paramedics joined thousands in rejecting a pay deal. Health workers called for an urgent meeting on Friday with Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, setting the groundwork for more potential strikes affecting patients. Up to 50,000 resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, walked out on Friday morning as part of a five-day strike over the long-running pay dispute between the Government and the British Medical Association (BMA). Hours later, the GMB Union announced two thirds of its members had voted against the proposed 3.6 per cent pay increase offered for 2025/26 in England. The union represents about 50,000 NHS workers, including 20,000 in the ambulance service. Rachel Harrison, GMB national secretary, has written to Mr Streeting and said the union 'awaits his reply with interest'. The Royal College of Nursing is also balloting its members on the 3.6 per cent pay rise. The ongoing resident doctors' strikes are taking place despite polls showing waning public sympathy. Pay boosts under Labour mean resident doctors have seen increases of 28.9 per cent over three years. The BMA recently rejected a further 5.3 per cent raise and voted in favour of more walkouts because the BMA wanted full pay restoration to 2008 levels, which would involve another 28 per cent pay rise. More than 1.5 million appointments and operations have been postponed because of NHS walkouts since 2022, while the medics are able to make more money by taking on shifts as overtime to clear backlogs during the strikes. The Health Secretary has instructed hospitals to cancel as few procedures and appointments as they can safely manage to avoid building up backlogs. Hospitals are now scrambling to minimise disruption to care, with Mr Streeting saying 'we are doing everything we can to minimise' patient harm. Risk to patients He has condemned the strike as 'reckless' and said the Government would not allow the BMA to 'hold the country to ransom'. 'I'm really proud of the way that NHS leaders and front-line staff have prepared and mobilised to minimise the disruption and minimise the risk of harm to patients,' he said. 'We've seen an extraordinary response, including people cancelling their leave, turning up for work, and resident doctors themselves ignoring their union to be there for patients. I'm extremely grateful to all of them. 'What I can't do today is guarantee that there will be no disruption and that there is no risk of harm to patients. 'We are doing everything we can to minimise it, but the risk is there, and that is why the BMA's action is so irresponsible. 'This Government will not allow the BMA to hold the country to ransom, and we will continue to make progress on NHS improvement, as we've done in our first year.' Sir Jim Mackey, the chief executive of the NHS, hopes that during this wave of strikes, the NHS can keep as much pre-planned care on schedule as possible, rather than just focusing on emergency care. 'Colleagues in the service have tried to keep as much going as humanly possible as well, and the early signs are that that's been achieved so far, but it is early doors,' he said. 'In the end, capacity will have to be constrained by the numbers of people we've actually got who do just turn up for work, and what that means in terms of safe provision, because the thing that colleagues won't compromise is safety in the actual delivery. But it does look like people have really heard that. 'They're really pulling together to maximise the range of services possible.' Asked about further strikes, he said: 'It is possible. I would hope not. I would hope after this, we'll be able to get people in a room and resolve the issue.' It comes after Sir Keir Starmer made a last-minute appeal to resident doctors, saying the strikes would ' cause real damage '. He added: 'Most people do not support these strikes. They know they will cause real damage. 'These strikes threaten to turn back the clock on progress we have made in rebuilding the NHS over the last year, choking off the recovery.' The BMA has argued that real-terms pay has fallen by around 20 per cent since 2008, and is pushing for full 'pay restoration'. Dr Tom Dolphin, the BMA council chairman, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme 'nobody wants to be on strike' but Mr Streeting's offer ' did not contain anything substantive '. He added that 'it's very disappointing to see a Labour Government taking such a hard line against trade unions'. Dr Melissa Ryan, co-chairwoman of the BMA's UK resident doctors committee, said: 'We want to be paid fairly and we want an excuse to stay in the NHS and do what we enjoy, which is looking after patients.' She also apologised to patients for the disruption caused by the strike, saying: 'It really is disruptive – and I'm sorry for that.' She added: 'I apologise to patients every day because the NHS isn't giving them the service they deserve.' 'We're under-doctored and understaffed. And that's a political choice not to fund this properly. We need a government that will invest in the NHS, not only for me, but also for the patients.'
BBC News
17-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Equal pay claim could cost Bradford Council millions, says union
Equal pay claims involving hundreds of council staff could end up costing a cash-strapped local authority "millions of pounds", a union has Union said staff at Bradford Council had been in touch about claims the authority was reportedly paying staff in mainly male departments more than staff in mainly female departments. The union accused the council of "burying their heads in the sand" and said if the complainants were successful, their pay claims could be backdated for up to six years. A Bradford Council spokesperson said it was in discussions with the union and staff. Lou Foster-Wilson, GMB Organiser, called the situation "shameful" and said that members were angry at being "short-changed". She also said hundreds of claims were "piling hundreds more to follow". "The longer it takes to settle these claims the bigger the bill Bradford Council will have to pick up," Ms Foster-Wilson added. The dispute relates to claims staff in female-dominated roles, such as teaching assistants, have historically been underpaid in relation to those in male-dominated positions. 'Right thing' According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a council spokesperson said: "People are at the heart of what we do in Bradford, and our commitment to equality and inclusion is a big part of that. "We have well established procedures for discussing many matters with the trade unions and we continue in discussion with them to understand any issues their members may have."Ms Foster-Wilson added: "I urge the council to do the right thing by our members and its workforce and get round the negotiating table, so we can sort out a settlement for our members as soon as possible."In 2024 Birmingham City Council agreed to pay 6,000 of its workers a settlement after an unequal pay row. It was said to be one of the key factors in the authority declaring effective bankruptcy the year before when it said it was facing a bill of £760m to settle the claims. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Leicester hospital staff to be charged to use Hopper bus
A bus service to hospital sites in Leicester will no longer be completely free for staff, health bosses have Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) says from 25 August a Hospital Hopper single adult fare from a non-UHL site – currently free for trust staff – will instead cost them £ Union described the charge as a "pay cut by stealth" and has launched a campaign to reverse its Stanhope from UHL said the trust was "committed" to making sure the bus service was "financially sustainable". The Hospital Hopper service connects Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester General Hospital and Glenfield Hospital with other stops throughout the city. Impact 'recognised' The trust added a single adult fare from a UHL site would remain free for staff and there would be no changes to Hopper fares for the Clarke, from GMB Union, said: "This charge discriminates against lower-paid and multi-site NHS workers the hardest and it will have the effect of encouraging more car use."UHL said the introduction of a subsidised charge was to ensure the service remained free for staff travelling between hospital Stanhope added: "This decision was taken after careful consideration and we recognise the impact it will have on some of our colleagues."These measures will keep the cost as low as possible for them while allowing UHL to continue to maintain this important service going forward."
BBC News
18-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Hundreds of jobs to go in closure of UK's largest fibreglass factory
Hundreds of workers are set to lose their jobs after the owners of the UK's largest fibreglass factory announced the closure of the firm Nippon Electric Glass is to shut the plant in Hindley Green, Wigan, despite months of rescue talks with the government and local leaders. Josh Simons, Labour MP for Makerfield, said the firm had "repeatedly moved the goalposts" in discussions, while the GMB Union described the move as a "bitter betrayal" of the factory's 250-strong workforce. Nippon said "various options" had been considered over the plant's future, but the firm had decided to place its UK operation into voluntary liquidation. The announcement comes as Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is in Japan on a week long "trade mission" to promote investment into the region. Simons said Burnham is due to meet the chairman of Nippon, which began reviewing the future of the site in April, to discuss the like wind turbine blades and parts for the rail and aerospace industries are made at the factory using the lightweight material. Gary Edwards, regional organiser for GMB which represents skilled workers at the factory, said: "Everyone involved worked tirelessly to try and secure the site's future."But for every solution we found, the company presented another problem. It became hard not to question how serious they were about doing a deal.""I'm angry about that, I'm disappointed, bitterly, for the workers but that is what has kiboshed this deal."Mr Edwards said the 250 staff due to lose their jobs had been a victim of a "global trend" towards protectionism caused by uncertainty over global supply chains. 'Devastating' "They're essentially spending more money than they were offered in some of these deals in order to close the plant," said Simons. "The only way to explain that is because they want to reshore their supply chains in Japan, and that is not in the interests of my workers, it's not in the interests of Britain."Simons said the closure would be "devastating" for workers at the site, some of who had worked there for decades. He said he would fight to make sure those workers get "every bit of support they possible can" from the government and local authorities. The factory had made a loss of £12m in the year ending December 2024, according to a notice published by firm said it had decided to cease operation and enter voluntary liquidation to "quickly rebuild our composites business".It said it plans to "rebuild its production system" to improve profitability. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NHS doubles amount its spending on private companies
NHS trusts in the South West have almost doubled the amount they are spending on private companies over the past three years. A Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by the GMB Union showed NHS trusts across the region pay at least £151m a year to private companies. The total annual spend has almost doubled since 2021/2022. Figures also reveal that almost £64m has been spent on private ambulances in the region over the same time period. Speaking for GMB members, Mo Akbar has "demanded" an end to privatisation. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said they remain committed to working with the independent sector to "slash elective waiting lists and give patients more choice". The outsourcing of NHS services threatens the financial viability and sustainability of the health service, union members claim. This is because the independent sector providers are not obligated to train staff, which can undermine the quality and scope of training for doctors and other healthcare professionals, union members added. Mr Akbar, an ambulance worker, argues it symbolises a decline in the quality of care for NHS patients, as private providers may prioritise profits over health. "Workers and communities should have more say in how the NHS is run, ensuring decisions focus on patient care, not financial targets," he said. "Health outcomes are tied to poverty, housing, and working conditions, so NHS rebuilding must also address these inequalities. "We demand real terms restorative pay from the 14 years of brutal austerity. "This Labour government will have a crisis of legitimacy if they choose a path of further privatisation of the NHS, which would put at risk the sense of the collectivism that is at the heart of our health service." He added that only 11 South West trusts responded to the FOI - meaning the true figure being paid to the private sector could be far higher than £151m. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Through our Plan for Change, we are making good progress having already cut the waiting list by 200,000 since this government took office and delivered 3.6 million extra appointments." Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Hospital jobs to be outsourced from NHS Job losses as urgent NHS call firm collapses NHS cuts will have 'profound effect' on patients Nearly half of NHS workers looking to move jobs NHS England- South West
