Doctors at Croydon’s Mayday Hospital have pledged their support to porters’ and cleaners’ fight for covid sick pay.
The doctors – who represent the British Medical Association on the local negotiating committee – are backing a GMB protest to be staged outside the hospital on Monday.
The workers are in dispute with their employers, outsourcing giant G4S, because they are not receiving sick pay if off work due to covid, or when needing to self-isolate because of the virus. It means some, among the worst paid workers in the NHS, feel compelled to attend work and potentially put patients’ health at increased risk.
Doctors have written to the chief exec of Croydon University Hospital to appeal for him to directly intervene with G4S to ensure workers receive the London Living Wage and full occupational sick pay.
Helen O’Connor, GMB union organiser, said: “Our members have seen the letter the doctors have written to Croydon NHS on their behalf and they are delighted with it.
“These doctors recognise porters and domestic staff are vital to the running of the hospital.
“These workers want to be part of the NHS family and they want the other staff in the hospital to know how unfairly they are being treated and to support them in this dispute.
“GMB welcomes their intervention we hope that the trust will listen to these highly experienced clinicians and pay our members fairly.”
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