Standing room only at UCHT Branch Industrial Action Meeting
It was a case of standing room only at the industrial action meeting organised by the UCHT Branch on Friday 11th October.
Members spilled out of the doors at the Ulster Hospital Lecture Theatre as they turned up to find out about UNISONs impending industrial action ballot.
The feeling among members was one of frustration at the Department of Health and their employer over pay inequalities and a lack of safe staffing levels, which are putting pressure on both the workers and the services. There is overwhelming consensus that they will be voting yes for industrial action and will be taking action if and when it happens.
UCHT Branch Secretary, James Large, commented, "There are many reasons why I feel people should vote, and vote yes to bring us back in line with our counterparts in the UK. We must not and will not be treated as 2nd class citizens. There has been much talk about a border down the Irish sea in the Brexit debacle and how nobody wants this, however, there is already a border down the Irish sea in relation to NHS pay."
He also outlined worrying facts from the 2019 staff survey about the general mood of staff feeling under valued, under paid and under increasing stress "In the 2019 health & social care staff survey 35% of respondents have thought about leaving the service, 58% said they did not feel valued at work, 50% worked additional unpaid hours and worryingly 47% said they felt unwell as a result of work related stress. This can be turned around, but it starts with pay parity."
*The UNISON Industrial action ballot opens on Monday 21st October, your ballot is your voice. Stand together and vote yes for strike action, we won't be left behind!*
