Hospital maintenance staff in Norwich and Cromer have accepted an inflation-busting 4.5pc pay rise after arguing they were being paid less than similar staff at other Norfolk hospitals.
Unite, the union representing the majority of electricians and plumbers working on an outsourced Serco contract, had claimed their pay had fallen behind that paid to directly employed NHS staff at the James Paget Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn.
The pay rise, backdated to 1 April 2020, affects about 50 maintenance staff at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) and workers at the Cromer and District Hospital.
Unite regional coordinating officer Mark Robinson said: “This inflation-busting deal goes some way in reducing the gap between estate workers directly employed in Norfolk by the NHS and those working at the county’s flagship hospital, the NNUH.
“Maintenance workers in Yarmouth and Kings Lynn had their roles upgraded recently which had the knock-on effect of making salaries paid by Serco uncompetitive in a marketplace where our members’ skills are highly prized.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here