UNISON has launched a new stage in its One Team Us2 campaign to ensure that members working for private contractors in the NHS get the same pay as their colleagues who are directly employed.
The union’s health team and private contractors unit have identified key employers across England and have written to them, seeking full implementation of the NHS pay award and the unconsolidated one-off payment.
UNISON has asked for meetings with the “appropriate senior managers” at 18 employers to discuss the issue.
In the letter, Donna Rowe-Merriman, national secretary for business, community and environment, says: “UNISON’s policy is that staff working across functions in providing services to the NHS are all ‘One Team and should receive the same pay as those employed directly.
“The differing rates of pay currently in place are unfair and leave many feeling undervalued and experiencing financial hardship. In the midst of a cost of living crisis, putting pay right for contractor staff is crucial – to stop them leaving and to keep NHS services running.”
The letter says that the union wants to “engage with contractors providing NHS services to understand the pay and reward schemes” that they apply and how these compare to directly employed NHS staff.
It also calls on the companies to “publicly commit to ensure that pay rates of staff delivering services to the NHS are no lower than Agenda for Change pay rates” across all contracts that they deliver within the NHS.
The companies involved include BUPA, Circle Health, Mitie, Serco and Sodexo.
Find out more about the Us2 campaign
The article UNISON launches next stage of One Team Us2 pay campaign first appeared on the UNISON National site.