Sunderland health workers avoid strike action after negotiating improved pay deal, says union

Healthcare assistants and clinical support workers at hospital sites in Sunderland were threatening to walkout over pay.

Staff working for South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust voted overwhelmingly to strike in July 2024.

Health workers had also campaigned for months to be given fair back pay for the work they had already undertaken.

Healthcare assistants have been paid at band 2 of the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale, despite increasingly carrying out clinical tasks that should be paid at the higher band 3 rate.

However, UNISON announced today, Friday, October 25, that negotiations with hospital chiefs had proven successful.

The Trust added that it had ‘worked hard’ to come to an agreement with its ‘valued’ workers.

UNISON Northern regional secretary Clare Williams said it was the third trust in the North East where workers have won an improved offer over wage rebanding.

Healthcare assistants employed by the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust won a substantial pay rise in July with back pay to 2019, after 14 days of strike action.

“It’s great to see that strikes have been avoided after staff won a hard-fought campaign,” said Ms Williams.

“These healthcare assistants have been working above their pay band for many years. 

“It should never have come to a threat of strike action, but it’s good the trust returned to negotiations and agreed the back pay staff deserved. 

“The union will now work with the trusts to get health workers the money they’re owed as soon as possible.” 

A spokesperson for South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust said: "Our Clinical Support Workers and Healthcare Assistants are a highly valued and vital part of our workforce.

"We worked hard during our discussions with the union to resolve this as swiftly as we could and pleased this deal has been agreed."