UNISON members at four NHS Logistics depots began a second 24 hour strike, last night at 10pm. Runcorn depot stopped at 11pm.
The workers are protesting about their transfer from the NHS to German parcel company, DHL.
At the same time Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, has written to Health Minister Andy Burnham, seeking assurances that staff will not be adversely affected by the planned transfer.
UNISON is calling for a suspension of the contract that transfers NHS Logistics staff to DHL, scheduled to take place on October 1st.
In the letter to Burnham, Prentis said: ‘There are growing concerns being expressed by staff concerning your personal guarantees to constituency delegates at this Conference, that the staff will not be adversely affected by the planned transfer to DHL.
‘No written agreement has been reached between DHL and representatives of NHS Logistics staff on these guarantees.
‘DHL failed to attend a meeting with the Business Services Authority and our union on 20 September to discuss these issues.’
Fears are growing amongst staff at NHS Logistics following an announcement by the GMB union yesterday, that they are to ballot their members working in DHL parcels over proposals to sack 3,000 permanent staff and replace them with casual labour.
Prentis went on to say: ‘No wonder our members at NHS Logistics fear for their jobs and the service they provide to hospitals and GP surgeries.
‘NHS Logistics is an award winning, not for profit organisation, that last year gave back £3 million in rebates to the NHS.
‘DHL’s bottom line is their profits not patients. This is a privatisation too far.’
Dave Prentis led a delegation of UNISON members from the Labour Party Conference last night to show their solidarity with striking NHS Logistics workers at the depot in Runcorn, Cheshire.
NHS Logistics depots took strike action from 10pm at Maidstone in Kent, Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, Alfreton in Derbyshire, Normanton in Wakefield and from 11pm at Runcorn in Cheshire.