THE GMB is to make a formal complaint that a Bath employment agency is illegally supplying staff to Swindon hospital during Carillion strike days.
GMB is asking the government’s enforcement body, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EASI), to conduct an investigation into the alleged strike-breaking as breaches of the regulations result in fines of £5,000 per worker per day supplied to do the work of the strikers.
GMB has informed SkyBlue Solutions, an employment agency in Bath, that it is making a formal complaint to EASI over allegations that the agency illegally supplied staff to the Great Western Hospital (GWH) in Swindon during strike days.
150 GMB members are involved in strike action at the hospital against their PFI employer Carillion, over allegations of bullying, harassment and discrimination.
GMB members have already taken eleven days of strike action at Great Western Hospital in Swindon. There are a further seven days of strike action from Saturday 17th March to Friday 23rd March.
GMB has informed SkyBlue Solutions that it has provided the union’s solicitors with details of agency staff from SkyBlue Solutions who were recruited and worked at GWH on strike days.
These details include the numbers of SkyBlue staff and of the days they were recruited and worked.
GMB had already written to employment agencies including SkyBlue Solutions to make them aware that Regulation 7 of the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations 2003 prohibits an employment business (agency) from providing temporary workers to replace workers who are taking part in an official strike.
An employment business supplying workers in these circumstances will be committing a criminal offence, and the end user/employer/client could be found to be aiding and abetting that offence.
A St Patrick’s Day march and rally is being held today in support of the strikers at the start of the further seven days strike.
It assembles at 11.15am, Salisbury Street, Swindon, and the rally is at 1.00pm at Wharf Green.
Speakers invited include: Dave Smith, construction worker blacklisted by Carillion; Jerry Hicks, Unite and Blacklisted workers campaign; Anne Snelgrove, Swindon Labour Party; John Drake, Chair SW TUC; plus speakers from GMB.
GMB last week called on Carillion to establish an Investigation Board to oversee the investigation into the allegations of bullying, harassment and discrimination of GMB members employed on the PFI contract at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon.
GMB has suggested that this Board consist of representatives from Carillion, the NHS Hospital Trust, GMB and the PFI owner, Semperian.
GMB has also raised with Carillion the company’s invitation to the Police to investigate matters connected with the allegations of bullying and harassment. GMB is keen to be involved in this investigation.
