March in support of Dundee porters as they prepare for all-out strike action
120 striking hospital porters working at Dundee’s Ninewells and Royal Victoria hospitals are moving to all-out strike action from 7 April. After 5 weeks of partial strike action involving a mix of 4-hour and 24 hour strikes, the Unite members have agreed to take all-out action in a bid to win their justified claim.
The porters are calling for an upgrade from Band 1 to Band 2 and compensation for historic under payments going back more than 10 years. They have been met with intransigent opposition by NHS Tayside. The employer failed in an attempt in court to have the action declared illegal under anti-union legislation. They have also been docking large amounts of money from porters pay-packets in an effort to undermine the dispute.
Rather than intimidate them, this action has only served to strengthen the resolve of the porters and, unless there is a significant move by the NHS bosses, all out action will start from Monday.
The ongoing cuts to NHS budgets in Scotland are a key factor in the refusal by management to so far settle this dispute. Despite claims at being “anti-austerity” the SNP-led Scottish Government have passed on billions in Tory cuts since 2010. The cuts are having a direct impact on the hard-nosed approach of Tayside NHS bosses, many of whom are on six-figure salaries. The SNP health minister should be intervening on the side of the workforce to demand a just settlement in favour of the porters, who are on the lowest paid band of NHS employees.
As we reported in our article last week there has been disappointment and anger at a letter sent to a number of Unison branches reportedly reflecting the views of branch officers of the Unison Tayside Healthcare branch. The letter, signed by the union’s lead organiser for health in Scotland, asked Unison branches to “think twice about lending support” to the Unite porters action.
However, the porters strike is gaining widespread support, including among Unison members in the NHS locally and beyond. All trade unionists should support the porters action and the letter, which echoes many of the arguments of management, should be withdrawn.
A march and rally in support of the porters action will be taking place on Saturday 4 April at 11.30 marching from then Unite offices on Blackness Road to the City Square.
Messages of support and donations to the strike fund can be made at:
John Boland at john.boland@nhs.net
Please send donations to Unite, 110 Blackness Road, Dundee DD1 5PB (Cheques payable to Unite)
