Members of the GMB trade union working for the Sodexo multinational at Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals have voted to accept the company's offer to put all permanent employees on contracts which mirror National Health Service terms and conditions of employment. The members are employed as porters, housekeepers, cleaners and on the patient feeding services and this outcome is the result of a long-running campaign. There will be pay rises of up to 6% plus enhanced shift pay, better sick pay and increased holidays. This happens just one month before Sodexo passes the contract back into the hands of the local NHS Trust. It finally ends the unfair two tier pay system of non-agenda for change contracts and it means that the local Trust will have to match those employment conditions when the workers are transferred. It had previously made it clear that it wouldn't unify the pay scales itsefl but will have to under the TUPE (Acquired Rights) legislation.
Read more at > GMB
Health workers win better pay and end to private contract
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Health workers win right to permanent contracts
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Ending care home contracts will boost workers' pay
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Cleaners win better pay and conditions
Earlier this year cleaners working at the federal parliament took strike action to prevent their jobs being outsourced. Now, following negotiations, they have won improved pay and conditions. There will be a higher starting rate for cleaners with experience and the VPOD union believes this is an important recognition of the work done by cleaners. There will also be improved training provision for them and in future they will be able to carry over some additional hours rather than just losing any overtime hours that they have worked. [Read more at > VPOD (DE)->http://www.vpod.ch/aktuell