Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

London hospitals workers to strike over 'BAME staff pay'

London hospitals workers to strike over 'BAME staff pay'

HUNDREDS of workers at three East London hospitals will strike for two weeks over a pay dispute with their employers.

Staff at the Royal London Hospital, St Bartholmew’s Hospital and Whipps Cross Hospital plan to take action from Monday, January 31 as they try to push Barts Health NHS Trust and employers Serco to increase their pay.


Those involved are all members of the Unite union and work for Serco at the hospitals, both run by Barts Health Trust.

No figures are available for how many of the workforce are involved.

Unite claims staff at the three hospitals, which it says are predominantly black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) employees, are paid 15 per cent less than those employed directly by the NHS.

The union accused Serco and Barts Health of “exploiting” the caterers, cleaners, porters and other staff employed by Serco at Royal London, St Bart’s and Whipps Cross.

Contractors Serco said it had recently increased its offer of a pay rise to three per cent for staff to address their concerns.

However, Unite could not reach an agreement with the employer, arguing that far more was needed to match the 7.5 per cent inflation rate.

Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary, was highly critical of the hospitals’ and Serco’s pay to their workers.

She said: “These workers face the same risks as NHS-employed staff but they are paid significantly worse and treated disgracefully.

“Barts Health NHS Trust has a golden opportunity to bring these workers, employed by Serco and not the NHS, back into NHS employment.

“It’s time to end the injustice of a two-tier workforce. Unite is 100 per cent behind our members’ battle against low pay and exploitation.”

Serco responded by criticising the strike and calling for further talks.

The company’s contract director for Barts Health, Taddy McAuely, said: “We are extremely disappointed with the notification of strike action from Unite as we recently increased the pay offer for our employees to a total of three per cent, backdated to April 2021.

“This is the same percentage increase as that being received by people directly employed by the NHS.

“Serco also recently announced a £100 ex-gratia payment for all of our 52,000 front line employees around the world including all our colleagues at Barts Health.

“We look forward to further discussions with Unite and hope to work together to find a resolution that avoids the need for this unnecessary strike action.”

Shane DeGaris, deputy group chief executive at Barts Health NHS Trust said: “Over the next 13 months we will be considering future arrangements of the facilities management contract, which could include bringing some services back in house.

“We are hopeful that this matter can be resolved but are working with Serco to put the appropriate measures in place and ensure hospital services are supported if strike action does go ahead.”

(Local Democracy Reporting Service)

More For You

David Joseph

Joseph has chaired several BRIT Awards shows and was an executive producer of the Oscar and BAFTA-winning 2015 documentary Amy.

David Joseph named new CEO of the RSA

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS (RSA) has announced the appointment of David Joseph CBE as its next chief executive officer. He will take over the role in September, succeeding Andy Haldane.

Joseph previously served as chairman and CEO of Universal Music UK for 17 years. During his time at the company, he oversaw its transformation into a global exporter of British music and worked with several major international artists.

Keep ReadingShow less
Labour Rift Deepens as MPs Prepare for Crucial Welfare Bill Vote

People take part in a protest against disability welfare cuts on June 30, 2025 in London. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

MPs to vote on welfare bill amid Labour divisions

DOZENS of Labour MPs are expected to vote against the government’s welfare reforms despite recent concessions aimed at easing opposition.

The government had initially planned to tighten eligibility for Personal Independence Payment (Pip) but later said the stricter rules would only apply to new claimants from November 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
We The Women makes UK debut with stories of courage and truth

Sudha Murthy and Karan Johar

Image Credits: Barkha Dutt / We The Women / Mojo Story

We The Women makes UK debut with stories of courage and truth

Mahesh Liloriya

The acclaimed women-led festival We The Women, curated by veteran journalist Barkha Dutt, made its powerful UK debut on June 29 at London’s Riverside Studios. Presented in partnership with Vedanta, the event brought together transformative voices from India and the British-Indian diaspora, showcasing unfiltered, emotional, and often raw storytelling.

Among the standout moments was Rashmika Mandanna’s candid discussion on her values-first approach to fame. The actor received thunderous applause when she shared, “I’ve said no to scripts because they required me to smoke. If I don’t feel good about something, I won’t do it.” Her firm stance echoed the festival’s core ethos, prioritising authenticity over popularity.

Keep ReadingShow less
Telangana-blast-Reuters

Rescue workers look for survivors after an explosion and fire at a chemical factory, in Sangareddy, Telangana, India, June 30, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

India chemical factory blast death toll rises to 39, probe underway

THE DEATH toll from the explosion and fire at the Sigachi Industries chemical factory in Sangareddy, Telangana, has risen to at least 39, officials said on Tuesday, as rescue teams continued clearing debris for a second day.

The explosion occurred on Monday and turned large parts of the building into rubble. State authorities confirmed the toll had risen to 39, Reuters reported. Thirty-four others were injured in the incident, according to officials.

Keep ReadingShow less
Covid inquiry begins probe into care home deaths

FILE PHOTO: A mother and daughter sit atop the Covid memorial wall on September 9, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Covid inquiry begins probe into care home deaths

THE Covid inquiry has started examining how the pandemic affected care services for older and disabled people, with families describing the crisis as one of the worst failures of the pandemic.

Nearly 46,000 care home residents died with Covid in England and Wales between March 2020 and January 2022, with many deaths happening in the first weeks of the outbreak.

Keep ReadingShow less