NHS supply lorry drivers vote to strike over 4% pay offer
Unite members employed by GXO are set to hold five walkouts between 13 October and 12 November after rejecting a 4% pay offer.
Key facts
- Unite members employed by GXO, who deliver NHS supplies, voted in favour of industrial action over pay.
- Unite said five walkouts are scheduled for 13-15, 20-22 and 27-29 October, and 3-5 and 10-12 November.
- Unite said members rejected a 4% pay offer from GXO, which said it believed the offer was fair.
- Strikes are due at depots in Alfreton, Bridgwater, Normanton, Maidstone, Rugby, Bury St Edmonds and Washington.
- NHS Supply Chain and GXO said they had "robust contingency plans" to minimise disruption.
NHS supply lorry drivers are set for a series of strikes in a dispute over pay, according to the BBC. Drivers employed by GXO in Tyne and Wear, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Kent, Warwickshire and Suffolk will stage five walkouts, Unite said.
The BBC reported the walkouts are scheduled for 13-15, 20-22 and 27-29 October, and 3-5 and 10-12 November. Unite said its members had rejected a 4% pay offer from GXO. GXO said it believed the 4% pay offer was fair.
Unite regional officer Phil Silkstone said: "There is still time for strike action to be avoided but that will require a deal our members can accept." Silkstone described the drivers as "dedicated workers" and said GXO had refused to put forward a reasonable offer.
NHS Supply Chain and GXO said they had "robust contingency plans" in place to minimise disruption. A spokesperson for GXO said: "Patient care remains of paramount importance, and we remain focused on providing a safe and effective operation throughout this period." NHS Supply Chain and GXO said they were aware Unite members had voted in favour of industrial action.
The BBC reported that the drivers deliver general equipment such as bandages, dressings, gowns, gloves and needles to hospitals across England. Depots where strike action is due to take place are in Alfreton in Derbyshire, Bridgwater in Somerset, Normanton in West Yorkshire, Maidstone in Kent, Rugby in Warwickshire, Bury St Edmonds in Suffolk and Washington in Tyne and Wear.
Context
GXO runs the NHS supply chain contract for Supply Chain Coordination Limited (SCCL), which the BBC reported is wholly owned by NHS England. The drivers involved deliver general equipment to hospitals across England.
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