NHS porter’s workloads and stress go up as their wages go down, claims UNISON report

Wed 17 Dec 2014

NHS Porters are under pressure and their workloads are going up while the value of their wages are going down. The report also concludes that their training is patchy and there are reports of lack of equipment to allow them to do their job properly.

These are the conclusions of a study UNISON has conducted among NHS porters. This report also suggests a growth in zero hour contracts and widespread reports of understaffing.

The report ‘Breaking Point’ was derived from surveys of Porters across the NHS in Scotland. 

Tam Waterson Chair of UNISON Scotland’s Health Committee said, “This study shows that porters like other workers in the NHS are under stress, working harder but seeing the value of their wages go down. It increases pressure on all NHS workers which impacts on the delivery of services for patients. Porters aren’t the glamorous end of the NHS, but they matter and the NHS is a team effort and we need to take their concerns seriously”

ends

Notes to Editor

1. UNISON is the biggest trade union in Scotland, and UNISON is the biggest trade union in NHS Scotland

2. Full report, Breaking Point,  can be read here: http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/BreakingPoint_HospitalPorterSurvey_Dec2014.pdf

Working harder but getting poorer is conclusion of new report comparing wages and prices

Mon 13 October 2014

A new report from public services union UNISON - 'The Price of Everything and the Value of Wages' - paints a stark picture of the decline and fall in living standards for workers across public services.

Years of zero or below inflation pay rises have meant that the value of wages has failed to keep pace with rising prices. 'The Cost of Everything and the Value of Wages' tracks how prices have risen faster than wages and the way that inflation as it is experienced by the poorly paid is often significantly higher than headline figures would suggest.

The report details how the cost of food, fuel, childcare and rent amongst other essentials has increased faster than wages.

Dave Watson, Head of Bargaining and Campaigns with UNISON Scotland said:

“It’s no coincidence that we are bringing this report out at the start of Challenge Poverty week and the day of the Poverty Alliance Conference. Wage freezes are reducing people to poverty one fifth of the children in poverty in Scotland are in households where at least one adult is working.

"It’s no use politicians in Edinburgh and London trumpeting record employment figures if those in work aren’t getting enough to live on.

"Scotland needs a pay rise that’s the message we’ll be sending out loudly all this week and most especially on Saturday’s STUC demonstration for Decent Work and Dignified Lives.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The full UNISON Scotland report 'The Price of Everything and the Value of Wages' can be found herehttp://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/
ThePriceof_UNISONScotlandReport_Oct2014.pdf

STUC Demonstration 18 October For A Just Scotland: Decent Work and Dignified Lives - Saturday 18 October 2014 in Glasgow. STUC links for more information
http://www.stuc.org.uk/
http://www.ajustscotland.org/events/4/18-october-march-and-rally

Unemployment figures - UNISON reaction

Wed 14 August 2013

“Today’s small drop in unemployment rates masks the damaging growth of under-employment plaguing the country and stifling economic recovery”, warned Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON today.

Mr Prentis went on to say: “A toxic combination of a part-time, minimum wage, zero-hours working is spreading across the country, as decently paid, full-time opportunities become increasingly rare.

UNISON calls on councillors to back Fair Pay as strike ballot opens

Tue 2 July 2013

Local government union UNISON today (Tuesday) emailed Scotland’s councillors asking them to support Fair Pay for council workers.

UNISON is balloting members in local government on strike action to win an improvement on COSLA’s pay offer of 1%. The ballot opens tomorrow (Wednesday 3 July) and runs till 13 August.

Scottish Secretary Mike Kirby said: “We have asked every councillor in Scotland whether they think it is fair that their employees have been offered a miserly 1%, when the value of staff pay has fallen by more than 10% in the last three years.”

The email to councillors points out that there is money available to improve the offer. Indeed the Labour group in COSLA had proposed an offer of 2.5%. Although this was not carried, it shows they believe the money can be found.

Mike Kirby added: “The employers’ offer is the first in three years and in that period housing costs, domestic fuel and travel to work costs have risen considerably. Our members work hard delivering quality public services day in and day out. We believe they deserve fair pay and a commitment to annual rises in the Living Wage. That is why we are balloting on strike action to win a better pay offer than the miserly 1% which was offered and rejected.”

“We believe a better pay offer is affordable - and it would in fact benefit local economies in a big way as council workers spend more than half their wages locally.”

UNISON and STUC on Call Kaye about the falling value of wages #YestoFairPay

12 June 2013

The BBC Scotland Call Kaye programme had contributions today from UNISON's Dave Watson and Dave Moxham, from the STUC.

The subject was the falling value of wages, something Dave Watson blogged on yesterday.

The full programme is online here, with the start of this topic just after 3 minutes in.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b02117ds