Strikes escalate at Lancashire hospitals over holiday pay dispute

Scientists at two teaching hospitals in Lancashire are escalating their strike action over the NHS trust's continued refusal to pay the holiday pay they are entitled to.

Management at the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust have a long history of poor employee relations and this is continuing despite an employment tribunal finding against them.

The employer lost at tribunal over this issue several years ago for one employee, but it has refused to settle it for the rest of the employees who are now owed thousands of pounds. This is despite senior management stating that they would always be open to negotiations following previous strikes over safe staffing levels.

Management at the hospital have disputed the union’s claims but now have refused Unite's offer to enter into a binding arbitration meeting that would see staff return to work and the strikes called off.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "The Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust continues to act like a rogue employer. The fact that staff receive less money when they take leave is a disgrace and against the findings of a tribunal. Our members won't stand for such behaviour and will continue to take strike action to showcase their anger."

Affected employees work in the biomedical sciences department dealing with urgent and routine blood tests as well as wider diagnostic work for patients. Strike action already underway will see significant delays to tests and procedures across the trust as workers take to the picket line from 7-11 September, 14-18 September, 21-25 September and 28 September-2 October.

Unite regional officer Helen Flanagan said: "Workers are at the end of their tether and have lost all confidence in management. They have been left with no choice but to take strike action to get their legally entitled holiday pay.

"LTHT has not taken into account how the rota system works and have been making generic comparisons. It is not taking into account the successful tribunal claim. It is now refusing to participate in arbitration which could see workers return to work - a baffling decision from hospital management who should be concerned about patient safety."

Staff in biomedicine at Blackburn work across different shifts which means that their pay varies. The law dictates that holiday pay should be calculated on the average of all earnings, with the principle that a worker should receive no less when on holiday than they would receive when working.