GWH staff ballot to take strike action (From Swindon Advertiser)
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GWH staff ballot to take strike action
9:00am Wednesday 14th December 2011 in News By Katie Bond
Andy Newman from the GMB
TRADE union members at Great Western Hospital are set to ballot for action over bullying and harassment of staff by their contractor.
About 150 GMB members employed by private contractor Carillion at the GWH are to ballot for strike action over bullying, harassment and discrimination by their management.
The workers are employed as porters, theatre technicians, in catering and cleaning and other support roles in the hospital.
They also claim that Carillion will not allow them to take holiday between now and the beginning of January, even though the hospital slows down over the Christmas period.
GWH was one of the first hospitals to be built under the Private Finance Initiative at a cost of £148m with Carillion as the lead contractor.
GMB regional officer Carole Vallelly said: “GMB members at the hospital had a private meeting with Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary, when he visited them at hospital on Monday.
“He was told of the myriad problems members are experiencing at the hands of managers of Carillion.
“These problems have as their root the PFI contractor’s failure to deal properly with concerns over holiday arrangements, shift arrangements and general consultation with the staff.
“Instead they face a culture of bullying, harassment and discrimination.”
A spokesman for Carillion said the company was disappointed to hear the allegations but claims not to have received the allegations referred to by GMB.
He said: “We have a long history of excellent employee relations with our staff at the Great Western Hospital and are very disappointed to hear of the allegations outlined in the GMB’s news release.
“We take matters of this nature very seriously and have well-established processes under which our employees are encouraged to come forward with any concerns they may have, so that allegations of this kind can be investigated.
“However, as we have not received the allegations to which the GMB refers, we cannot comment further at this stage.”
But Swindon’s GMB branch secretary Andy Newman disagreed.
“Carillion refuses to negotiate with GMB so we have been unable to formally lay out the issues. But several staff members have raised these issues with their supervisors,” he said.
“Carillion will not allow staff to take holiday between December 10 and January 7, even though the hospital does slow down over the holiday period. This doesn’t make business sense, and inconveniences staff who wish to share the holidays with their family.
“Many of the staff are devout Christians and we believe that this amounts to religious discrimination, and we are consulting our solicitors. All the staff are asking for is to be treated with respect.”
Oonagh Fitzgerald, the director of workforce and education at the GWH NHS Foundation Trust ,said allegations made by a member of a staff of a contractor, or other third party, are the responsibility of the company concerned.
“We are confident that if the union provides information to support the allegations then they will be investigated openly and fairly by Carillion,” she said.
Comments(30)
towney
says...
9:56am Wed 14 Dec 11
stu2010
says...
10:16am Wed 14 Dec 11
mrwoo
says...
10:17am Wed 14 Dec 11
If they don't like the job, go get another one!
stu2010
says...
10:21am Wed 14 Dec 11
Robfm
says...
11:02am Wed 14 Dec 11
They (GMB) have conned thousands out of hard pressed self employed pub lease holders by claiming they are employees of the Pubco's. Sadly quite a few believed them.
KeepItReal_
says...
11:51am Wed 14 Dec 11
blahblahblahblah
says...
12:07pm Wed 14 Dec 11
KeepItReal_ wrote:so angry you had to say it twice?
What about the poor souls who will die because of this ey. Anyone thught about that? Makes me so angry.
KeepItReal_
says...
12:08pm Wed 14 Dec 11
The Real Librarian
says...
12:08pm Wed 14 Dec 11
Swindon’s GMB branch secretary Andy Newman disagreed.
“Carillion refuses to negotiate with GMB
UNQUOTE
.
I am not suprised. If Andy Newman tried to come anywhere near my company I'd set the dogs on him.
KeepItReal_
says...
12:39pm Wed 14 Dec 11
The Real Librarian wrote:What co. do you run? Maybe we've met before.
QUOTE
Swindon’s GMB branch secretary Andy Newman disagreed.
“Carillion refuses to negotiate with GMB
UNQUOTE
.
I am not suprised. If Andy Newman tried to come anywhere near my company I'd set the dogs on him.
house on the hill
says...
1:52pm Wed 14 Dec 11
Gritter
says...
1:53pm Wed 14 Dec 11
swindondad
says...
2:40pm Wed 14 Dec 11
I speak from experience as this will be the first time in my 17 years of marriage that I will be off for both Christmas and New Year.
KeepItReal_
says...
2:44pm Wed 14 Dec 11
swindondad wrote:Hope you enjoy your Christmas for once. Must be noce. What about the sick though? Are they being covered by others or will we read about people dying on trollies again?
Hospitals are one off the many areas where some staff to work over the festive period and anyone who takes a job there knows this when they start. It is not nice to be away from family and friends at this time of year but it can not be helped.
I speak from experience as this will be the first time in my 17 years of marriage that I will be off for both Christmas and New Year.
Disco20
says...
3:31pm Wed 14 Dec 11
house on the hill wrote:Well said!
Just yet another expample of how the private sector getting involved in the public sector ends in tears. The Public sector is a publice service paid for by the tax payer whose prime directive is to provide that service, the private sector contractor prime directive is to make as much money as they can for their shareholders with no concern for the service or their responsibility to provide it (as with SBC and Capita). the two dont mix and never will and shouldn't be made to try, it was a crazy idea by the previous Govt..
KeepItReal_
says...
3:34pm Wed 14 Dec 11
Disco20 wrote:Why? It doesnt make sense. Waht has this got to do with the pubic sector? Its a private company.
house on the hill wrote:Well said!
Just yet another expample of how the private sector getting involved in the public sector ends in tears. The Public sector is a publice service paid for by the tax payer whose prime directive is to provide that service, the private sector contractor prime directive is to make as much money as they can for their shareholders with no concern for the service or their responsibility to provide it (as with SBC and Capita). the two dont mix and never will and shouldn't be made to try, it was a crazy idea by the previous Govt..
jimmys lovechild
says...
5:44pm Wed 14 Dec 11
I 2 Could B
says...
5:51pm Wed 14 Dec 11
Comrade Newman's really outdone himself with this load of **** though:
"Many of the staff are devout Christians and we believe that this amounts to religious discrimination"
Brilliant.
bulldog
says...
7:28pm Wed 14 Dec 11
bulldog
says...
7:28pm Wed 14 Dec 11
potpot02
says...
7:51pm Wed 14 Dec 11
robbiecoxy
says...
8:55pm Wed 14 Dec 11
I Too
says...
10:54pm Wed 14 Dec 11
Robfm wrote:Have you been sampling the wares again or do all the GWH staff own pubs?
Ah the GMB true to form talking to the press before they talk to the employer.
They (GMB) have conned thousands out of hard pressed self employed pub lease holders by claiming they are employees of the Pubco's. Sadly quite a few believed them.
KeepItReal_
says...
11:47am Thu 15 Dec 11
robbiecoxy wrote:Couldnt have put it better myself. Well done.
look u lot u wouldnt get away wiv this crap in yr own countrys why start here be thankfull u have jobs if u dont like it go home i will be happy to have ur job. if any of u need a lift to the airport i will be happy to take u.
house on the hill
says...
2:14pm Thu 15 Dec 11
3:34pm Wed 14 Dec 11D
Disco20 wrote:
house on the hill wrote:
Just yet another expample of how the private sector getting involved in the public sector ends in tears. The Public sector is a publice service paid for by the tax payer whose prime directive is to provide that service, the private sector contractor prime directive is to make as much money as they can for their shareholders with no concern for the service or their responsibility to provide it (as with SBC and Capita). the two dont mix and never will and shouldn't be made to try, it was a crazy idea by the previous Govt..
Well said!Why? It doesnt make sense. Waht has this got to do with the pubic sector? Its a private company.""""
You are missing the point, the NHS is a Public Sector Service that has outsourced some of its work to a private sector contractor. The contractor is still being paid by the taxpayer. The are not interested in providing a good service, only making as much as they can by providing the minimum (cheaoest) service they can get away with under thier contract, they dont care about the customer at all.
As an example Capita are planning to do away with the cashiers in the One Stop Shop at the Council to save money and make us all pay our bills by other methods. The money saved will not be used in other areas of the Council to improve other services, all it will do is to improve Capita's profit for their directors and shareholders.
That is why I am so against this Public Sector/Private Sector crossover as it isnt in the taxpayers interest and is weighted very much in favour of the contractor (no competition for their services and a guaranteed chunk of taxpayers money as long as they do the least they are cotracted to do). As a result services fall and our taxes go into the pockets of directors and shareholders intead of being put back into the public sector to improve it. Totally wrong and should be stopped.
KeepItReal_
says...
4:25pm Thu 15 Dec 11
house on the hill wrote:I got it now. I gree
KeepItReal_ says...
3:34pm Wed 14 Dec 11D
Disco20 wrote:
house on the hill wrote:
Just yet another expample of how the private sector getting involved in the public sector ends in tears. The Public sector is a publice service paid for by the tax payer whose prime directive is to provide that service, the private sector contractor prime directive is to make as much money as they can for their shareholders with no concern for the service or their responsibility to provide it (as with SBC and Capita). the two dont mix and never will and shouldn't be made to try, it was a crazy idea by the previous Govt..
Well said!Why? It doesnt make sense. Waht has this got to do with the pubic sector? Its a private company.""""
You are missing the point, the NHS is a Public Sector Service that has outsourced some of its work to a private sector contractor. The contractor is still being paid by the taxpayer. The are not interested in providing a good service, only making as much as they can by providing the minimum (cheaoest) service they can get away with under thier contract, they dont care about the customer at all.
As an example Capita are planning to do away with the cashiers in the One Stop Shop at the Council to save money and make us all pay our bills by other methods. The money saved will not be used in other areas of the Council to improve other services, all it will do is to improve Capita's profit for their directors and shareholders.
That is why I am so against this Public Sector/Private Sector crossover as it isnt in the taxpayers interest and is weighted very much in favour of the contractor (no competition for their services and a guaranteed chunk of taxpayers money as long as they do the least they are cotracted to do). As a result services fall and our taxes go into the pockets of directors and shareholders intead of being put back into the public sector to improve it. Totally wrong and should be stopped.
Thanks.
faatmaan
says...
6:08pm Thu 15 Dec 11
KeepItReal_
says...
9:23am Fri 16 Dec 11
diamonddotty
says...
5:24am Sat 17 Dec 11
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KeepItReal_ says...
9:28am Wed 14 Dec 11