Disgruntled staff picket at hospital (From Swindon Advertiser)
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Disgruntled staff picket at hospital
9:30am Wednesday 15th February 2012 in News By Katie Bond
Carillion staff on the picket line at Great Western Hospital yesterday
THE entrance to the Great Western Hospital was lined with cleaners protesting against alleged bullying and an unfair holiday system yesterday.
More than 100 workers, all employed by Carillion, took to the street with banners and placards.
The workers walked out over alleged managerial bullying and harassment. The GMB union, which represents 150 of Carillion’s 200-strong workforce, said 97.3 per cent of voters backed the action.
Dozens of the workers formed a picket line outside the hospital when the strike began at midnight.
They are set to repeat their actions again on two occasions next week.
GMB regional officer Carol Vallelly said: “We have got talks planned with Carillion for next Monday and if we don’t make any headway then the strikes will go ahead again next week.
“We met with them on Monday this week but we made no significant headway whatsoever.
“I don’t feel that they are taking our members’ allegations seriously.
“During the course of the investigation into the collective grievance around numerous allegations of bullying, discrimination and more serious allegations which may result in criminal proceedings, the person concerned hasn’t been suspended and no action has been taken in the interim.”
Before the strike, GMB warned 50 employment agencies in the town not to break employment law by sending in supply workers during the strike, as they can face fines of up to £5,000 each time.
Despite the walk-out, Carillion said other employees had volunteered to work in their place and the level of care received by patients would not be compromised.
They also said the outcome of the investigation, which involved one-to-one meetings with more than 90 workers, was expected later this week.
Oonagh Fitzgerald, the hospital’s director of workforce and education, said: “Our priority is to ensure minimal impact on patient services. We are confident that patients will notice no difference in the care they receive.”
A Carillion spokesman said: “We were disappointed that the strike went ahead. However, it was business as usual.
“Our robust contingency plans ensured that the cleanliness of the hospital and patient care was not compromised in anyway.
“We had such excellent support from staff members that we actually had a surplus of people to carry out the duties of the employees who took strike action and ensured the continued efficient running of the hospital.”
Comments(33)
Peter DAY
says...
11:16am Wed 15 Feb 12
Robfm
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11:46am Wed 15 Feb 12
Peter DAY
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11:55am Wed 15 Feb 12
notadolldosser
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12:25pm Wed 15 Feb 12
This country is in termoil because of forigen workers taking the english peoples jobs. The goverment need to make a stance, English come first and the rest get a chance after. If you dont like our rules / law then you know where to go!
notadolldosser
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12:26pm Wed 15 Feb 12
notadolldosser wrote:sorry *cant understand english* oops!!
If you can understand english you should not work in England. Language is a fundimental part of everyday life and if you can understand instructions then how can you do your job? If they had an interpreter i bet the tax payer was paying for that as well!!!! This country is in termoil because of forigen workers taking the english peoples jobs. The goverment need to make a stance, English come first and the rest get a chance after. If you dont like our rules / law then you know where to go!
leapylee
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12:39pm Wed 15 Feb 12
i was told recently that there are around 12000 Goans in Swindon, no wonder this towns population has grown so much in the last couple of years.
Where do they all live!
Robfm
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12:48pm Wed 15 Feb 12
Jon1936
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1:02pm Wed 15 Feb 12
Peter DAY
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1:06pm Wed 15 Feb 12
baldy01
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1:23pm Wed 15 Feb 12
Jon1936 wrote:i have to say they are not on bad pay and the work conditions are very good my wife worked there and they get nearly 16.00 an hour on a weekend dont think thats bad do you and they get respect at work but as soon as they dont get their own way they do this except this time they got that prat andy newman and gmb making it worse filling their heads up with they are gonna win if they did it would mean the whole hospital having 4 weeks at xmas and the hospital shutting you get told when you go for the job open 24/7 everyday so why kick off now
I say fair play to these striking workers. It is a fact that you are now more likely to see immigrant workers in the lowest paid, and often worst jobs. Why are they in these jobs? Is it because they are willfully 'stealing our jobs' as the foaming-at-the-mouth right wing suggest, or is it more likely that bosses see a group of people who they can trample all over rights wise? The reason bosses employ Goans etc is that they see them as a more easily exploitable workforce than domestic labour. The fight that these people are undergoing for basic dignity and conditions at work is the same fight that our great grandparents went through and won for us. In my workplace, our cleaning is outsourced to an agency that employs mainly immigrants, and their conditions are also terrible. As with the vast majority of conflicts between workers and management, we have more in common with the workers, who are struggling for dignity at work, than with the boss who, given half a chance would have us all working in terrible conditions.
house on the hill
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1:59pm Wed 15 Feb 12
robbiecoxy
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2:18pm Wed 15 Feb 12
Mystery Mike
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3:53pm Wed 15 Feb 12
baldy01 wrote:your comment was missing these: ..?,.""..,?
Jon1936 wrote:i have to say they are not on bad pay and the work conditions are very good my wife worked there and they get nearly 16.00 an hour on a weekend dont think thats bad do you and they get respect at work but as soon as they dont get their own way they do this except this time they got that prat andy newman and gmb making it worse filling their heads up with they are gonna win if they did it would mean the whole hospital having 4 weeks at xmas and the hospital shutting you get told when you go for the job open 24/7 everyday so why kick off now
I say fair play to these striking workers. It is a fact that you are now more likely to see immigrant workers in the lowest paid, and often worst jobs. Why are they in these jobs? Is it because they are willfully 'stealing our jobs' as the foaming-at-the-mouth right wing suggest, or is it more likely that bosses see a group of people who they can trample all over rights wise? The reason bosses employ Goans etc is that they see them as a more easily exploitable workforce than domestic labour. The fight that these people are undergoing for basic dignity and conditions at work is the same fight that our great grandparents went through and won for us. In my workplace, our cleaning is outsourced to an agency that employs mainly immigrants, and their conditions are also terrible. As with the vast majority of conflicts between workers and management, we have more in common with the workers, who are struggling for dignity at work, than with the boss who, given half a chance would have us all working in terrible conditions.
They help people understand your long string of endless words.
Mystery Mike
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3:56pm Wed 15 Feb 12
robbiecoxy wrote:Which people are they? Can't find them in this article.
aint it funny how certain ppl go on the sick for months but are well enough to stand on a picket line!!!!!!!!!!!!
baldy01
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4:23pm Wed 15 Feb 12
Mystery Mike
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4:30pm Wed 15 Feb 12
baldy01 wrote:I'd understand it more if you used a question mark, but I just about got the gist of it, yes. And no, I don't work for GMB. Why? Are they quite notorious for pointing out your grammatical errors as well?
mike let me see by some chance you arnt a member of gmb are you ..... or cant you understand that question
baldy01
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4:45pm Wed 15 Feb 12
Mystery Mike
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4:48pm Wed 15 Feb 12
enuffsenuff
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6:30pm Wed 15 Feb 12
Mystery Mike wrote:I am sure you cant !!!
robbiecoxy wrote:Which people are they? Can't find them in this article.
aint it funny how certain ppl go on the sick for months but are well enough to stand on a picket line!!!!!!!!!!!!
TinkeyWinkey
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7:02pm Wed 15 Feb 12
Mystery Mike
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7:40pm Wed 15 Feb 12
enuffsenuff wrote:No, I can't. It's not mentioned in this article at all.
Mystery Mike wrote:I am sure you cant !!!
robbiecoxy wrote:Which people are they? Can't find them in this article.
aint it funny how certain ppl go on the sick for months but are well enough to stand on a picket line!!!!!!!!!!!!
robbiecoxy
says...
8:57pm Wed 15 Feb 12
Mystery Mike wrote:it doesn't need to be in the article mike but I'm sure u know who I'm talking about.
enuffsenuff wrote:No, I can't. It's not mentioned in this article at all.
Mystery Mike wrote:I am sure you cant !!!
robbiecoxy wrote:Which people are they? Can't find them in this article.
aint it funny how certain ppl go on the sick for months but are well enough to stand on a picket line!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just another number
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8:41am Thu 16 Feb 12
I have no problem with anyone who wants to work and earn a living regardless of where they were born. Any immigrant that comes to this country legally and contributes to the economy is more of an asset to this country than the British who choose to be a burden on society despite being born in a country where they have social, economic, and educational advantages that aren't available to the vast majority of people in the world.
Immigrants are, based on tax contributions vs use of public services, less of a burden on the economy than the native British population. That might be a hard fact for some of you to accept, but it's fact.
As for being a member of a union and going on strike -- the choice to take a job where belonging to a union is an option is available to anyone who wants it. So why is it that it's seen as some kind of crime for someone, anyone, to stand up for their own interests?
From what I can see it's the people who didn't stand up for themselves who are jealous of those who do.
Robfm
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8:05am Fri 17 Feb 12
The GMB are simply exploiting what is being painted by some as Racism, which of course is complete rubbish. It's about fairness to the other workers.
Just another number
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8:24am Fri 17 Feb 12
Why don't you rewrite it so it makes sense and doesn't offend anyone.
Robfm
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8:36am Fri 17 Feb 12
Just another number
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8:59am Fri 17 Feb 12
Every one of your comments here is a statement against immigration and Goans in particular. Would you care to explain your motives?
MadMuffin
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8:38pm Fri 17 Feb 12
They knew the working conditions when they started. They should go back home and stay there.
baldy01
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10:35am Sat 18 Feb 12
whatutterrubbish!
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8:59pm Wed 22 Feb 12
Peter DAY
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8:26am Thu 23 Feb 12
Why do you think MRSA is rife in hospitals because cleaners fail to do there jobs properly, this is straying off the subject but nevertheless another aspect of being employed.
Corilian should bring in staff that are prepared to work for a change.
Peter DAY
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8:34am Thu 23 Feb 12
I sincerelly hope behind the scenes the Conservatives are getting to grips with this problem.
baldy01 says...
10:08am Wed 15 Feb 12