Great Western Hospital has hit out at the GMB after they blared loud music on to the hospital site during their latest strike action yesterday.

The union represents Carillion workers in the housekeeping department at the hospital who are part of an ongoing investigation by their employer over claims of bullying, harassment and bribery.

Yesterday, the workers held their 19th day of strike action despite Carillion announcing that they hope to conclude their investigation into all individual grievances by the end of June.

And during a demonstration yesterday morning, the GMB drove a vehicle on to the hospital grounds and played music on loudspeakers including the Star Wars theme tune and the Strawbs 70’s hit Part of the Union.

Their actions resulted in complaints from a number of patients and staff on wards including the Intensive Care Unit and Special Care Baby Unit and the union and their workers were asked to leave the site.

A GWH spokesman said: “The latest action by the GMB appears to have been carried out without any thought about the impact it might have on patients being cared for at the hospital. We’re here to care for the sick and injured who need rest to recover so it’s inappropriate and insensitive to try to disrupt the hospital in this way.

“We received complaints from a number of areas including the Special Care Baby Unit and Intensive Care Unit that the noise made by the GMB by broadcasting loud music which was disturbing patients and visitors.

“The security team at the hospital asked the GMB officials to move off the site and turn off the music as they left but the request was refused.

“Broadcasting loud music while driving around the hospital site does not help resolve the issues that are at the centre of the dispute which is between the GMB and Carillion and does not involve the hospital so we would ask the GMB to play their part in the final stages of Carillion’s investigation constructively.”

Paul Maloney, regional secretary for GMB said in excess of £150,000 has so far been ploughed in to the workers plight, and this will continue until they are satisfied that their workers, who are mainly from Goa, will be treated fairly and with respect in the workplace.

“We are in this for the long haul,” he said.

“As far as we are concerned, we will do whatever it takes to ensure we win this, we will be pitching up every which way we can, at any potential sites Carillion are going to be taken over to make people aware of how they have been treating our workers. We will carry this on until we get justice.”

A spokeswoman for Carillion said they were disappointed at the latest actions of workers yesterday.

She said: “This action and the GMB’s co-ordinated public meeting in Swindon are a blatant attempt to sow further discontent.

“Actions such as these are carried out in complete disregard of the wishes of the majority of our workforce, the hospital and our two recognised union partners, UNISON and Unite.

“We are also sad to say that the GMB has been disturbing families within the Special Care Baby Unit by playing music through loudspeakers during the strike at the Great Western Hospital.

“These irresponsible tactics, together with the GMB’s continued release of misleading and inaccurate information, appear to be aimed solely at undermining our investigation and securing its own official recognition as a union, which neither Carillion, nor UNISON or Unite, wishes to see.

“This latest strike action threatens to derail our planned timescale.”

Last night, Doreen Lawrence, founder of The Stephen Lawrence Trust, pulled out of speaking at a public meeting arranged by the GMB.