Underpaid hospital workers are fuming after a last-minute pay deal cancellation left them high and dry before Christmas! 😡🩺 Healthcare support staff at a Welsh health board, mostly women, say they feel “betrayed” as a promised pay correction package was pulled with no explanation. This package was meant to compensate them for years of being underpaid in roles that exceed their NHS band two pay grade, with some potentially missing out on up to £7,000!
The blow comes after an intense two-year campaign where workers even voted to strike for better wages, pushing executives at Swansea Bay University Health Board to promise higher pay bands and back pay by the end of the year. Yet now, the agreement, forged 10 months back, is off the table, confirmed by Unison.
One worker expressed her disappointment, saying, “We’ve been doing band three duties for years but only getting band two pay… now morale and trust in the health board are shattered.” With Christmas approaching, many staff feel “financially vulnerable” and frustrated at being kept in the dark.
These dedicated workers are stretched thin, working in challenging, understaffed conditions far beyond their roles, and the delay in payments is causing widespread distress. While they hope to avoid strikes, some feel it might be their only option to push for the fair pay they deserve.
Unison Cymru’s head of health, Tanya Bull, voiced her concern, labelling the health board’s actions as “morally repugnant.” She urged Welsh Government to intervene and ensure the promised payments are made promptly, recognising the long-overdue dedication of these low-paid workers. Stay tuned for further updates! 🗞️