SW London mental health

UNISON South West London Mental Health packed AGM 2009 and leading the way on the G20 protest

Telegraph - Outdated dogma will not get us out of this mess

TELEGRAPH & TORIES
"OUTDATED DOGMA"

Today's Sunday Telegraph (26th April 2009) Editorial today states that "Outdated dogma will not get us out of this mess".

I trust that they are referring to the Conservative Parties statements on the NHS which now include

1) Continuation of privatisation (Such a cleaning which has killed thousands in cross infection)
2) Continuation of failed PFI (which has cost millions
3) A pay freeze (refusing to honour the independent review body)
4) Scrapping the present NHS Pension scheme (Do they know how small a nurses NHS pension is)
5) Foundation hospitals (more failed privatisation plans
6) naming and shamming NHS Bosses over £150k a year
(look forward to seeing how much those General Practitioners and Consultants earn)


As the NHS Consultants association state "No one has ever been able to provide information that shows that privatisation or competition improves the quality of health care, far from it. research from America shows increased "competition" leads to bigger bureaucracy and poorer quality of health care.

but of course............the Sunday Telegraph was complaining that the rich might have to pay more for THEIR FINANCIAL CRISIS

Something about millionaire Tory bankers telling nurses that we have to make more sacrifices because of their crisis

Jack Jones You are History - You are Legend

Jack Jones
Born 29th March 1913
Died 21st April 2009

A Great Man - A Great Life

Trade Unionist, International Brigader and Pensioners' Leader

"They went because their open eyes
could see no other way"

No Pasaran

You are History - You are Legend

Hillingdon Hospital Cleaners - Fightingback

HILLINGDON HOSPITAL CLEANERS - A PROUD HISTORY


One Day strike organised by COHSE and NUPE Domestics at Hillingdon Hospital 23rd May 1985. (100%) (pic below)

The strike was in protest at the hospital's privatisation programme and support with Barking hospital strikers.

Management asked them either to lose their bonus or be privatised. The staff voted overwhelmingly against cutting their bonus.

equally solid amongst white staff from Colham and Asian staff from Southall

In September 1985 at the civic centre, (pic below)the District Health Authority voted to privatise the service was privatised, with the loss of 213 jobs.

Private contractor started February 1st 1986 ICC Hospital services Ltd

Hillingdon was one of the first private contracts after St Helier, Hammersmith to be forced through by the Tories.






Of course this was only a dress rehearsal for the great Hillingdon Hospital cleaners strike ten years later.

A new company took over the contract, Pall Mall cleaning, who decided that it would be better--at least for its directors--if the pay of the domestic staff was reduced from about £3.50 to £2.50 an hour.

Fifty-five mainly Asian women members of UNISON (NUPE & COHSE having merged) decided that, on principle, it was not acceptable to have their pay reduced by about 30 % and went on strike on 1st October 1995 (pic first day of strike).







After an employment tribunal had finally ruled that they should receive maximum compensation and must be reinstated.

The now famous Hillingdon Hospital strike lasted five years and Malkiat Bilku the NUPE/UNISON Steward walked back into work on October 30th 2000 with Alan Keen MP, to the first day back at work.

Hillingdon Hospital Cleaners strike 1st October 1995 to 29th October 2000

Barking Hospital Strike 1984

BARKING HOSPITAL STRIKE 1984

Crothall's (a subsidiary of Pritchards) held the contract for hospital cleaning at Barking Hospital in East London for a number of years prior to 1984.

This company had close links to the Conservative Party and in particular arch privateer Michael Forsyth MP (Stirling) who's Michael Forsyth Associates were consultants to Pritchards. (Likewise Lord Ashcroft and Mediclean)

Michael Forsyth now states hospital cleaning privatisation went to far in driving down standards, however his late clarification of his views, fail to hide the fact that thousands of patients have needlessly died or been maimed as a direct result of the Tories hospital cleaning privatisation, which deliberately and callously drove down cleaning hours and standards.

After the introduction of the Tories hospital cleaning privatisation at all cost charter outlined in the now infamous and hated DHSS Circular (HC) 18 83 .

This Circular forced hospital to award hospital cleaning contracts to the lowest tender and cared little for the impact on cross infection or staff pay and conditions, it was riddled with Tory dogma, revenge for the 1982 hospital workers pay battle.

Crothalls decided that in order to maintain the contract at Barking Hospital they would reduce the cost by a massive 41%. Cleaning hours were cut from 2,189 to 1,330, the cleaners pay by a third, cut holiday pay from 4 weeks to three weeks, no sick pay and massive changes in staff shifts.

When the Barking Hospital cleaners(mainly NUPE members) came out on strike in March 1983, Crothalls sacked them using the new anti union laws introduced by the Tories,

Rodney Bickerstaffe NUPE General Secretary stated that Barking Hospital was "our Cortonwood" in a reference to the Miners strike against pit closures.

A London wide day of Action was organised by rank & file activists and did secure good support, even in areas such as Hillingdon where solidarity action had previously been unknown.

Their s very strong 24 hour picket line at the hospital, but unfortunately Police showed every sympathy with the casual labour now filling the strikes jobs arrested numerous activists.


The depute went o into 1985, but the very courageous battle waged by the women (with the support of Barking Health Emergency) the strike ended in defeat.

However, they had manged to highlight the very real impact of privatisation on cleaning standards and staff.

At Barking Hospital cross infection rates at the hospital soared and cockroaches were founding crawling in the hospital's baby incubator's.

Hospital cleaners were forced to strike against OCS contractors at Addenbrookes hospital (Cambridge), six months at Scarsdale Hospital, Chesterfield and three months at Hammersmith against Mediclean.


One Day strike organised by COHSE and NUPE Domestics at Hillingdon Hospital 23rd May 1985. (100%) (pic below)

The strike was in protest at the hospital's privatisation programme and support with Barking hospital strikers.

Management asked them either to lose their bonus or be privatised. The staff voted overwhelmingly against cutting their bonus.

The strike was equally solid amongst white staff from Colham and Asian staff from Southall

1988 Nurses Clinical Grading Dispute

1988 Nurses
Clinical Grading Dispute
COHSE

National Nurses 1988 Clinical Grading dispute at Hillingdon Hospital, day of action. Nurses outside the A&E entrance. COHSE nursing members.

One of the best and most successful campaigns run by NHS unions.

Securing massive improvements in Clinical Grading and London Weighting

Below 1988 Clical Grading Dispute at Central Middlesex Hospital (with newly elected Paul Boateng MP for Brent South (1987-2005). Demo organised by COHSE.
Click pictures to enlarge

Hayes Cottage Hospital 1983

Hammersmith Hospital Strike 1984

Hammersmith Hospital

In 1983 the Conservative Party keen to destroy public services decided to force through privatisation of hospital cleaning. This led to cuts of 50% in cleaning staff, poor pay and more importantly a massive increase in infection rates.

One of the first contracts to be awarded to the private sector (as the NHS Cleaning staff refused to cut their staff and pay) was at Hammersmith hospital. The subsequent strike was one of the most aggressive fought and included occupations and breaking up of Board meetings.

The contract went to Mediclean (who also won contracts at St Helier, Sutton and Bridge Hospital, Essex. The £450,000 Hammersmith contract started on 28th January 1985.

While a majority of the NUPE and COHSE members struck, a significant minority remained in work and the strike divided by country, the Irish and Portuguese being the strongest. helped no doubt that the NUPE Branch secretary Lydia Fraser was Portuguese (her husband Pete Fraser was NUPE branch secretary at St Charles Hospital. While a number of the COHSE branch officers were Irish.

Not all workers had their pay cut the contract manager Simon Cox at Hammersmith it was discovered was on £15,000 a year. COHSE was able to secure the pay and benefits package for all key Mediclean staff much to Medicleans embarrassment, this included BUPA coverage and top of the range cars while cleaning staff had their pay cut, holidays, sick pay, pensions, overtinme and weekend rates.

The Cleaning staff at Hammersmith Hospitalwas was cut from the original 220 staff to 158 and the number of full time staff was cut from 122 to just 28.

Withe regard to cleaning hours in the contracts they were cut from 6,170 to 2,802 per week hardly surprising that "so called" savings were made. but this was at the direct cost of hospital cleanliness. Today over 70% of hospital cleaning contracts are still in the private sector and the Tories have a cheek to complain about dirty NHS hospitals....who made them dirty ?.

Below right Lydia and Pete Fraser at COHSE Conference 1984

COHSE North West Thames Region

Photo COHSE Conference circa 1990 Blackpool
North west Thames Region

Click to enlarge