Many workers at the South London NHS trust say they are having to rely on handouts
Dozens of cleaners, porters and caterers staged a protest outside Lewisham Hospital this week as they demanded better pay, with many workers reportedly having to use food banks and struggling to afford rent and bills.
The workers are members of GMB Union and are outsourced staff who are employed by ISS. According to the union, they are being kept on separate contracts and are not on the London Living Wage as their basic hourly rate of pay has fallen to just over the minimum wage.
A spokesperson for ISS UK&I told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “We value the contribution of every ISS team member and will continue to work towards a resolution.”
Kenny Olisakwe, who is the GMB Union rep, said: “When you talk to them they say they’re going to talk to the NHS, they said they might put it up next year but we don’t want it next year because they always add a pound to the minimum wage. We want it this year.”
Kenny, a cleaner working in domestic services at the hospital, told the LDRS that there was a meeting following the protest on Monday (November 24) but says “there’s been no concrete stuff on the table”.
He said: “They said we should give them from now until December but there’s been no offer because any offer they put on the table has not been written, it’s not an offer – we want something written and signed.”
Helen O’Connor, GMB Membership Development Officer, said: “Our members are sick and tired of being on among the lowest pay rates in London.
“They work hard to serve the patients by ensuring their environment is clean, patients are fed and are transported to appointments on time.
“They are struggling to cope on the wages they are paid, with many using food banks and not able to afford rent and other bills.”
She added: “ISS have pushed pay down across the contract and this is making the workforce angry.
“If ISS fail to put down a serious offer to improve pay and conditions of Soft FM [facilities management] staff in Lewisham Hospital, GMB will ballot our members for strike action.”
Don’t miss out on the biggest local stories. Sign up to our MySouthLondon newsletter HERE for all the latest daily news and more.
