Almost 300 workers at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust have begun a fresh three-day strike, according to Southwark News, following a similar walkout last month. The staff, employed in band two roles including cleaning, portering, stores and food service, are pressing for higher pay and better treatment from trust management.
Key points
- Who is striking — nearly 300 band two staff at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust.
- Why — Unite says pay of £15.89 an hour is too low to live on in London.
- When — pickets run from Monday 19 to Wednesday 21 October.
- March — workers head to Downing Street at 10:30am on the final day.
Unite, the union representing the workers, describes the pay as a poverty wage and says members have been driven to act after what it calls repeated failures by management. The trust counters that pay is decided across the NHS as a whole rather than by individual hospitals, and has urged the union to call off the action while talks continue.
Pickets were set up at the Westminster Bridge Road entrance to St Thomas' Hospital from 7am to 10:30am on Monday, with Tuesday's line at Guy's Hospital on St Thomas Street and Wednesday's picket returning to St Thomas' before the march to Downing Street.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "They cannot survive living in London on poverty-level wages." She added that members are "the backbone of the hospital" and have the union's full support.
What it means in practice
For patients and visitors at the two hospitals, the main effect is disruption to the less visible work that keeps wards running — cleaning, portering and catering — so appointments may feel slower and wards less tidy during the three days. If you have a visit planned, allow extra time and check the trust's updates before you travel.
- Patients — expect possible delays to support services rather than cancelled clinical care.
- Commuters — the Wednesday march to Downing Street may add to crowds in Westminster.
- Staff — pay talks continue, so the dispute could be settled without further walkouts.
