LONDON NHS workers have called a demonstration today outside The Old Town Hall in Stratford to protest about hospital workers being forced into abusive zero-hours contract jobs by Barts Hospital.
Cleaners, porters and workers serving food at Barts Health NHS Trust begin their protest at 5.30pm outside the Trust’s annual public meeting to demand an end to the abuse of zero-hours contracts and for a guaranteed London living wage.
One of the largest contracts, worth up to £55 million, for services including cleaning, porters, catering, security and laundry is due to be awarded to a single private service provider on September 30.
The union Unite said: ‘We are calling on Barts to ensure that the new contractor pays all staff at least the London living wage and transfers a significant number of workers on zero-hours onto directly employed contracts.
‘The services are provided by Carillion and ISS. Medirest and Elior provide canteen services. All the services will transfer to a single provider. There are many workers who have been at the Trust for over six years, yet are still on zero-hours contracts and paid just above the minimum wage.
‘Currently, there are around 1,000 workers in total working across five hospitals on different contracts and different rates of pay. Many agency workers are paid just £7.50 an hour, almost £2.00 less than directly employed staff doing exactly the same work.’
