Healthcare workers at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon are considering strike action after their pay rise has been denied.

Hundreds of the lowest-paid workers at the Swindon hospital have been denied a pay rise worth at least £1,655, according to the healthcare union UNISON.

This affects those who work in housekeeping, catering, portering and security, who all work for the private contractor Serco.

UNISON says that it believes hospital staff should all be given the same money as colleagues directly employed by the NHS, and is now launching an industrial action ballot to decide whether to strike this Autumn.

The strike would involve those who keep the hospital running day-to-day, and would cause serious disruptionThe strike would involve those who keep the hospital running day-to-day, and would cause serious disruption (Image: Newsquest)

“These dedicated staff keep NHS services running in Swindon. Without them, Great Western Hospital would grind to a halt," said Jayne Jackson, UNISON South West regional manager.

“They deserve recognition for their work, which is every bit as important as that of their NHS colleagues. That means being paid fairly.

“Put simply, Serco should pay up. All its employees are asking for is to be given the same as health staff working directly for the NHS.

“The lump sum would make a great difference to them all. It would also make financial sense for Serco. Giving staff the extra cash would stop many currently thinking of leaving from quitting the firm and the NHS for good.”

The decision to deny a pay rise comes after a deal was agreed in June 2023 for staff on NHS contracts to receive a one-off payment for the previous financial year. 

The company Serco has not offered that payment to its hospital staff employees.

A Serco spokesperson said: “Serco has a great relationship with our colleagues and UNISON at Great Western Hospital and we are as disappointed as they are that our NHS funding application for the non-consolidated agenda for change bonus has not been successful. 

"We will continue to work with Unison to find a mutually acceptable outcome to this issue.”  

UNISON is currently the UK's largest union with more than 1.3 million members working in public services such as education, local government, the NHS, and policing.

The union's industrial action ballot will open on Wednesday, 24 July and close on Wednesday, August 21.

If successful, strike action among staff at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon could take place this autumn.