Lump sum payment to be awarded to all striking hospital workers after rule change

Hundreds of staff employed by private contractor Mitie have been taking strike action backed by unions Unison and Unite.

The staff, who are employed as porters and in domestic and catering roles, are looking for a lump sum Covid payment of around £1,655 they claim is owed and which was paid to staff employed by the NHS within Russells Hall, Guest Hospital in Dudley and Corbett Hospital in Stourbridge.

The general secretaries of the two unions wrote to Mitie chief executive Phil Bentley last month to say strikes will continue unless staff receive the payment, claiming it was part of the deal agreed by the government and health unions last year following strikes in the NHS.

Unison and Unite said the company claimed the extra payment was unaffordable, but Mitie previously said it was still awaiting a response from the government on a funding application to allow them to pay the bonus to contracted staff.

Last week, Dudley North MP Marco Longhi brought up the plight of the workers in parliament and asked the Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt whether she would back the 450 staff employed by Mitie.

Mrs Mordaunt said extra funding was being made available for organisations, such as Mitie, to apply for money for the extra payment for those not directly employed by the government, and she would make sure the individual case of the Dudley hospital workers was looked into.

Now, in a letter to Mr Longhi, Minister of State for Health and Social Care Andrew Stephenson has explained eligible organisations applying for the funding had been asked to show that they would be 'negatively financially impacted' by implementing the pay awards for their staff.

However, he said that criteria has since been relaxed and funding would be given to all eligible staff.

In the letter, Mr Stephenson said organisations will be informed of the outcome of their application by the end of this week.

He wrote: "It is important to me that all eligible staff receive their non-consolidated awards. As you are aware, in November, I implemented a scheme in which non-NHS organisations were able to apply for funding to cover the cost of these awards to ensure that eligible staff received their award.

"Eligible organisations were those with contracts to deliver NHS or public health grant services and who employ their staff on dynamically linked Agenda for Change contracts.

"Organisations were also asked to show that they would be negatively financially impacted by implementing these non-consolidated pay awards for their staff.

"However, given the evidence we received from organisations within their applications, we have now agreed to relax this financial criterion to deliver the funding to all eligible staff on this occasion. This decision was further influenced by the unprecedented nature of the bonus relating to Covid contributions of staff.

"Due to this change to the criteria, funding will be provided for over 27,000 members of staff to receive the non-consolidated awards, including those within your constituency.

"My officials have been working closely with NHS England to assess applications from over 180 organisations.

"I am pleased to inform you that this process is now complete and organisations will be informed of the outcome of their application by the end of this week.

"Following confirmation of their success, eligible organisations will be contacted by NHS England or Department of Health and Social Care and provided with the funding as quickly as financial processes enable on both sides."

In response, Mr Longhi, who said he has had numerous meetings with the minister over the issue, said: "This is fantastic news for Mitie health workers, both those in my constituency and nationwide.

"This recent announcement made by the government, upon my pressure, will ensure that Mitie health workers, receive a Covid bonus in line with NHS contracted staff.

"I am grateful to the health minister, who listened to my case. I have always stated, that Mitie should have put their hands in their pocket and not the taxpayers.

"However, for me my constituents come first as a result I have asked the government to step in and award those affected.

"They deserve the same gratitude and rewards as NHS contracted staff.

"Finally, those who worked in Russells Hall and other clinical settings will be equally compensated."