Steve Score, Leicester Socialist Party
Health Care Assistants in Leicester Hospitals are part way through their announced ten days of strike action so far, demanding back pay they’re owed.
They have already won a re-banding for most staff, and the hospital trust has accepted that they were underpaid for the work that they do. However, management has not been prepared to pay sufficient back pay to recognise the years of underpayment.
The picket lines are big and lively, getting honks of support from motorists. The action has brought a whole new layer of people into activity.
“We are fighting for our back pay and against basically unfair treatment. Yes, we have been moved to Band 3. But we’re still fighting because we want six years of back pay when we worked above our band. We were on Band 2, but our duties were Band 3. We were working above our pay.”
Unison steward Katarzyna Krsysztofik
