Colchester hospital staff on why they are on strike again

Hundreds of cleaners, porters, caterers and other soft facilities management staff are taking industrial action after East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) bosses revealed a bid to outsource their jobs.

The strike started on Tuesday and will end on Saturday, with the picket line at Colchester Hospital, in Turner Road.​

Hardwork - Matt has been a porter for the NHS for 17 years (Image: Newsquest)

Matt, who did not wish to give his surname, has been a shift porter for the NHS for 17 years and reiterates that NHS workers do not do it for the money, they do it for the people.

He said: "We have the guys who do Monday to Friday on the flat rate which is just a penny above minimum wage and so as you can tell we are not doing it for the money. 

"For those of us that do the unsociable shifts like your nights, twilights, weekends and bank holidays we rely on those shifts to get by to make a liveable wage.

"I know full well that for the outsourced staff in Ipswich all their enhancements are massively slashed as opposed to what we get.

"So not only will we be taking a massive cut in pay, we will be losing enhancements too. 

"We want to work in this job this is what we want to do - we want to help people out but it feels like we are being marginalised."

Action - Tracy Lavery, Mark Woodugle and Natalia Junusz all with signs (Image: Newsquest)

Tracy Lavery, who has been a housekeeper for 16 years, said: "It's really important trying to get the Trust to change their minds about outsourcing us. 

"We want to work for the NHS, we are proud to work for the NHS, we don't want to work for a private company.

"We were good enough for Covid - oh we were brilliant then - but all of a sudden we are not now.

"They were all sat at home but we were on the front line, we were front line staff.

"How they are treating us now is a kick in the teeth."

Mark Woodugle, who has been a housekeeper for eight years, said: "We love working for the NHS we don't want to work for this private company that is only in it for the money.

"We love the patients, the patients love us, the visitors love us. We are the frontline. 

"We care about the patients just as much as anyone else."

Determined - Tim Roberts in front of a Unison banner (Image: Newsquest)

Tim Roberts, the regional secretary for Unison Eastern, said: "This is a really crucial campaign for Unison. The Trust is proposing the biggest wave of outsourcing in the NHS, in this region, for over 15 years.

"The evidence is clear that health services are better served in-house with the NHS but the Trust wants to outsource into a private company who are determined to make profits 

"The only way they are going to make a profit is to drive down standards and drive down pay and terms and conditions.

"We have 500 unison members on strike today and they are determined to fight and stay in the NHS."

The strikes will continue until September 15.