Hundreds of workers at London's largest NHS trust win 'significant' Covid pay out

Hundreds of workers at London’s largest NHS Trust have won a significant payout following months of strike action over a dispute relating to a lump sum payment made during the Covid pandemic.

Nearly 700 members of Unite had worked for outsourcing firm Serco before transferring back into Barts Health NHS Trust just after the imposed deadline for staff to receive the £1,600 fee paid for working during the pandemic.

The staff included porters, cleaners and facilities staff at the Trust, which runs several large hospitals in east London.

On Wednesday, Unite announced that they had accepted a deal from Barts that would see them receive additional "special leave" equivalent to the value of the lump-sum payment.

Workers at the Trust had taken part in several rounds of strikes and demonstrations over the lack of payment.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a brilliant and incredibly hard-fought victory that our members should be incredibly proud of. They stood firm against their employer to get paid what they were rightfully entitled to.”

The union’s regional officer, Tabusam Ahmed, added: “Our members at Barts are some of the lowest paid staff in the NHS who turned up for work when they were most needed and put themselves in danger during the pandemic. They never waivered in their fight for what was right and they should be lauded for their determination.

“This victory will resonate across the NHS and anyone who feels they should have received this payment and didn't needs to join Unite - the union that is winning for its members.”

The news comes a day before junior doctors in the British Medical Association (BMA) prepare to strike over pay in a long-running dispute with the Government.

NHS leaders have said the service is expecting “major disruption” as a result of the heatwave and the strike.

Yellow heat health alerts are in place for many parts of the country and will end at 5pm on Thursday, the day junior doctors across the country will down their stethoscopes and pick up placards.

The strike comes weeks after Guy’s and St Thomas' NHS Trust and King’s College London NHS Trust were hit by a ransomware attack by Russian hacking group Qilin.

But the BMA confirmed on Tuesday that surgeons would be allowed to cross the picket line to work at both hospitals.