Update: A victory in sight as the Dundee porters force major concessions from NHS bosses

Philip Stott reports.

The Dundee hospital porters at Ninewells and Royal Victoria (RVH) have won a very significant breakthrough in their dispute with NHS Tayside bosses. The strike continues, however, as a result of the refusal of NHS management to agree compensation payments to the porters – one of the three key demands of the workers.

Nevertheless, after 12 weeks of all-out strike action – 16 weeks of industrial action in total – NHS Tayside have now agreed to a central demand of the porters and their union Unite: that the porters be graded as band 2 NHS workers. Furthermore, management have been forced by the solid strike action and the incredible determination of the 117 men and women involved to propose that the porters would enter band 2 at spinal point 5. This would mean an immediate £17 a week increase for a basic shift porter, a rise of over 5.5%.

In addition, by winning the band 2 commitment this week it will also allow the porters at the two hospitals to yearly increments until they reach the top of band 2 in three years time. In all it would result in a more than 15% wage rise – the immediate 5.5% followed by annual increases of 2.6%, 3.3% and 3.6%. Like all other NHS employees, the porters will also get any nationally agreed pay increases for NHS staff – currently capped at around 1% a year – producing a likely pay lift of around 18-20% in all by 2018.

Before the strike the majority of porters were stuck at the top of band 1, with no prospect of any real wage rises, a result of the austerity-laden pay cap imposed by cuts politicians at Westminster and Holyrood.

The second key demand of the union was that the 14 temporary porters on 6 month contracts (their jobs ended on May 30 but who heroically came out on strike and solidly supported it throughout) be given full-time permanent jobs.

This also also been conceded by NHS Tayside. The permanent portering staff at Ninewells and RVH will now increase by almost 14% as a result of this breakthrough.

The one major outstanding issue is that of compensation for being unjustly and unfairly placed on a band 1 in the first place, while other porters in Tayside and across Scotland were on band 2. The question of a form of cash payment has been, according to Tayside management, blocked at a Scottish level. Because the Scottish Government is responsible for the NHS in Scotland, the porters have rightly demanded answers from the local MSP and health minister Shona Robison and the SNP. Is she blocking any form of compensation or ex-gratia payments? Today, the porters organised a protest outside the constituency office of the SNP to demand those answers (see picture). The porters are determined to continue their action until an acceptable payment is agreed.

This weeks breakthrough is a testament to the strength of character and determination of the Dundee porters and Unite locally who have given them solid backing. The porters have driven a coach and horses through the idea that struggle is pointless and cannot achieve anything. On the contrary, these 117 men and women have proved that a fighting union, with determined leaders at a local level, can win victories. Further reports from Dundee will follow in the next few days.