Hospital staff protest at Scottish Parliament over withheld wages

UNISON members will lobby the Scottish Parliament today to call on politicians to step in to sort out wages scandal at Hairmyers Hospital.

Private contractor, ISS, are introducing a new payroll system – a change which will see UNISON members working three weeks but only getting paid for two weeks.

The plans move from working 5 days in arrears to working 11 days in arrears meaning that members won’t receive that additional week’s pay until they leave the service.

Whilst ISS are offering staff an interest free ‘bridging loan’ to cover the weeks pay lost that loan has to be paid back even though the loss is continuous.

UNISON Branch Secretary, Margo Cranmer, said “UNISON members working for ISS will this week be working for free and offered a pay-day loan to survive. This is totally unacceptable and we will do everything in our power to protect our members position.”

UNISON Regional Organiser, Johanna Baxter, said “This is an immoral act, from private profiteers, plunging the lowest paid members of staff in the NHS in Scotland into debt. You have to wonder how much interest this company is making on this money and off the backs of the lowest paid workers in the NHS and why it is the Scottish Government are letting them off with it.”

Further details of demonstration

Where: Public entrance to the Scottish Parliament,Edinburgh

When: 11am, Thursday 2 May 2019

Who: Labour MSPs, including health spokesperson Monica Lennon, will join NHS staff to lobby parliament of the ISS Hairmyres pay scandal.

UNISON contacts:
UNISON Branch Secretary, Margo Cranmer – 07896 763 636
UNISON Regional Organiser, Johanna Baxter – 07817 120 894