Christmas pay chaos for hospital workers (From The Argus)
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Christmas pay chaos for hospital workers
12:00pm Tuesday 1st January 2013 in News By Siobhan Ryan, Health Reporter
A union is demanding action after hundreds of hospital workers were left with little or no pay over Christmas.
Staff working for private company Sodexo have been left worrying about bills, bank charges and supporting their families because of delays in getting their wages.
The company took over the contract for providing non-clinical services at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath on December 1.
These include catering, cleaning and portering workers.
Staff are supposed to be paid each Friday and the GMB union says there have been problems for three weeks.
On Friday and Saturday workers queued at the Sodexo office in the Royal Sussex for emergency cash payments.
Staff told The Argus that at one point the money ran out.
The problem is believed to have been caused by technical issues which are being worked on.
GMB regional organiser Gary Palmer said hundreds of staff have been affected.
He said: “Our members are obviously very upset.
"It is bad enough to have this problem at any time but it is even worse at this time of year.
“I have been informed by some members they didn’t have enough money for Christmas while others are now worried because we are at the end of the month and they are worried about their bills.
“They are upset and also very angry and are worried this is going to happen again next week.
"Some have either not been paid at all while others are not getting overtime and others are being paid the wrong rate.
“We are asking for reassurances that this will be resolved.”
Several Sodexo workers who contacted The Argus said morale was low.
One member of staff, who asked not to be named, said: “Everyone is so upset. It’s not a good situation.”
A spokeswoman for Sodexo said: “Due to employee confidentiality we do not comment on individual pay issues.
"However, we have set up a dedicated payroll clinic on site to resolve any matters urgently and would urge anyone affected to contact us directly.”
The GMB is balloting its 300 members who work for Sodexo over industrial action in a row over potential job losses.
If members agree, there could be a walk-out as early as the middle of January.
Comments(5)
fredaj
says...
7:41pm Wed 2 Jan 13
Ramboy wrote:Yes, because the public sector have have problem or technical issues or make mistakes.
I thought privatisation was the answer to everything.
Just look at gas and electricity not to mention the railways.
Who'd have thought that running hospitals for profit rather than exclusively as a public service would go the same way.
Has anybody told Sid?
ourcoalition
says...
10:33pm Wed 2 Jan 13
fredaj wrote:Yes the public sector makes mistakes, but are immediately accountable for them, and usually local.
Ramboy wrote:Yes, because the public sector have have problem or technical issues or make mistakes.
I thought privatisation was the answer to everything.
Just look at gas and electricity not to mention the railways.
Who'd have thought that running hospitals for profit rather than exclusively as a public service would go the same way.
Has anybody told Sid?
2 examples - cleaning staff at Dorothy Stringer and Varndean Schools employed by private contractor based in North London - not paid for 5 weeks due to "technical problems". Only resolved by threat of industrial action and their School and Trade Union making emergency loans.
BHCC Occupational Health Service now provided by company whose service is dire - you can complain.....to Germany (the parent Company)!!!!
Hove Actually
says...
12:22pm Thu 3 Jan 13
bruce_
says...
5:44pm Thu 3 Jan 13
Seriously, in case any potential NHS patients think this isn't their problem, they'd better think again: frustrated and unpaid staff do not work as they should, and the various private companies now taking over so much work may, as someone said, prove hard to track down, let alone shame into actually doing something to make matters better.
Ramboy says...
3:40pm Tue 1 Jan 13
Just look at gas and electricity not to mention the railways.
Who'd have thought that running hospitals for profit rather than exclusively as a public service would go the same way.
Has anybody told Sid?