Monday, March 28, 2011
26th March TUC Demo
Click on photo to enlarge
UNISON Banners on the 26th March TUC Demo
Unison Aberdeen
Unison Aberdeenshire
Unison and UCU Stop the Cuts
Unison Barnet & Chase Farm Hospitals
Unison Barnet Local Government
Unison Basildon
Unison Bath and North East Somerset
Unison Bexley
Unison Birmingham (x 3)
Unison Black Members
Unison Blackpool Health
Unison Blood and Transplant Service
Unison Bolton Health Branch
Unison Bolton Metro Branch
Unison Bracknell Forest
Unison Bradford
Unison Brent
Unison Bridgend County Council Branch
Unison Brighton and Have
Unison Buckinghamshire health
Unison Calderdale
Unison Cambridge Healthcare Branch
Unison Camden and Islington Community Health Branch
Unison Camden
Unison Carmarthenshire County Branch
Unison Central Bristol Health Branch
Unison Central London Community Health Branch
Unison Central Manchester Healthcare Branch
Unison Charnwood
Unison City of Edinburgh
Unison City of Plymouth
Unison City of Sheffield Branch
Unison Cornwall Health Community Branch
Unison Croydon Nurses
Unison Cumbria County Council
Unison Darlington Local Government Branch
Unison Derbyshire Police
Unison Dorset County
Unison Dumfries and Galloway branch
Unison Dundee City Branch
Unison Durham County
Unison Ealing
Unison East London Mental Health branch
Unison East Midlands Police Service Group
Unison East Midlands
Unison East Sussex Area Branch
Unison Eastern Region
Unison Environment Agency Midlands
Unison Environment Agency South West
Unison Fareham Branch
Unison Filipino Nurses
Unison for Jobs, Growth and Justice
Unison Forth Valley Health Branch
Unison Gateshead Health Branch
Unison Gateshead Local Government Branch
Unison Glasgow City Branch
Unison Greater London – 1st Health Brigade
Unison Greater London Authority
Unison Greater London Region
Unison Greater London retired members
Unison Greenwich Local Government
Unison Grimsby and Goole Health Branch
Unison Haringey Health
Unison Haringey
Unison Hastings and Eastbourne healthcare
Unison Hertfordshire Community Healthcare Branch
Unison Hertfordshire County Branch
Unison Homerton University Hospital
Unison Hounslow Local Government Branch
Unison Housing Associations Branch
Unison Hull
Unison Inverclyde
Unison Isle of Wight Blood Collection Team
Unison Isle of Wight Healthcare Branch
Unison Isle of Wight Local Government Branch
Unison Isle of Wight
Unison Kensington and Chelsea local government
Unison Kingston Branch
Unison Kingston Hospital
Unison Kirklees
Unison Lambeth College
Unison Lambeth
Unison Lancashire Police Branch
Unison Leeds Metropolitan University
Unison LGBT
Unison Lincolnshire County Branch
Unison Liverpool Acute Hospitals Branch
Unison Liverpool Community and Hospitals Health Branch
Unison Local Government Branch
Unison Local Government Scotland
Unison London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
Unison London Fire Brigade LFEPA
Unison London Met
Unison London Metropolitan University
Unison Manchester Advice
Unison Manchester Community and Mental Health
Unison Manchester
Unison Manweb
Unison Medway Towns Local Government
Unison Merthyr Tydfil
Unison Middlesex University
Unison Milton Keynes Area
Unison national banner
Unison Norfolk Local Government Branch
Unison North Somerset
Unison North Staffs Community Health
Unison North West Region LGBT Group
Unison North West Region
Unison North Yorkshire Branch
Unison Northern Region Healthcare Branch
Unison Northern Region
Unison Nottingham Healthcare Branch
Unison Notts County
Unison Notts Libraries
Unison Oxfordshire Health
Unison Plymouth-Welfare not Warfare
Unison Portsmouth City Branch
Unison Queen Elizabeth Hospital Woolwich
Unison Reading Borough
Unison Rhondda Cynon Taff Branch
Unison Richmond Upon Thames (x 2)
Unison Rochdale
Unison Rotherham Health Service 13275 Branch
Unison Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust Branch
Unison Salford City Branch
Unison Salisbury Health Branch
Unison Scotland
Unison Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Unison Sefton Health Branch
Unison Sefton
Unison Senate House
Unison Shetland Local Services
Unison Shropshire
Unison Sir Ceredigion County Wales
Unison Skills Development Scotland Branch
Unison Soas
Unison South East Blood Service
Unison South East Region Health
Unison South East Region Retired Members
Unison South East Region
Unison South Gloucestershire
Unison South Kent
Unison South Lanarkshire
Unison South West London Community Health Branch
Unison South West London Mental Health
Unison South Western Ambulance Branch
Unison Southampton District Branch
Unison Southampton
Unison Southend on Sea Local Government Branch
Unison Southwark
Unison St Ceredigion County
Unison St George's Hospital, Wandsworth
Unison Staffordshire Branch
Unison Stockport Local Government
Unison Surrey County
Unison Swindon Branch
Unison Taunton Deane Branch
Unison Tayside Police Branch
Unison Thurrock Branch
Unison UCL
Unison University of Brighton
Unison Wales (x 2)
Unison Wales Health Branch
Unison Waltham Forest (x 2)
Unison West Cheshire
Unison West Midlands Region Birmingham Hospital Branch
Unison West Midlands Women
Unison West Sussex County Branch
Unison Westminster
Unison Whittington Health Branch
Unison Wiltshire Heath
Unison Wiltshire
Unison Wolfson Neuro rehabilitation Centre
Unison Wolverhampton Local Government Branch
Unison Women
Unison Worcester College
Unison Yorkshire Ambulance Service Branch
Unison Young Members City of Plymouth
Unison Young Members
Unison-Defend the NHS
Unison: Barnet
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Greedy Andrew Lansley Rap
Loughborough Rapper Fighting For NHS
A young rapper from Loughborough has put the controversial subject of NHS reforms into the lyrics of his latest video.
Sean Donnelly is a binman by day but his real passion takes over when he performs as Nxtgen. His girlfriend works as an Occupational Therapist and he was inspired to write it about Andrew Lansley MP for South Cambridgeshire and Secretary of State for Health, after she voiced concerns about the NHS’s future.
The coalition Government’s proposed reforms to the NHS could lead to a US-style system and many believe this will result in the NHS changing beyond recognition.
Sean’s continued rise in the rap world was reported on recently by the Mercury’s website and this latest production is bound to create mixed views from those on both sides of the political divide.
The young reporters of the Leicester Wave newspaper are looking to interview Sean in a forthcoming issue about his career and also the ‘Andrew Lansley Rap“.
More from Leicesters Citizen Eye...
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
New Ed Hall Union Banner To Be Unveiled Saturday 26th March TUC Demo
South West London Mental Health Branch
UNISON Banner
UNISON Banner
Members and officers of South West London & St Georges Mental Health Trust branch of the health care Union - UNISON, will have the pleasure of unveiling their new UNISON branch banner at the TUC Demonstration in London on Saturday 26th March 2011.
The artists who created the banner, was famous London trade union banner maker Ed Hall, responsible for hundreds of beautiful trade union banners.
Michael Walker UNISON Regional Officer who was responsible for the design describes the relevance of the iconography on the banner.
The colours used in the banner are those of UNISON of purple, green and white and are in turn based upon the WSPU suffragette colours. (chosen in 1908 by Emmeline Pethick Lawrence).
Nursing staff and Asylum attendants in period uniforms of 1910, hold up the banner and is taken from a graphic used on the front of the National Asylum Workers Union journal in its earliest years.
The logo's and slogan "All For One and One For All" at the bottom of the banner are from the original National Asylum Workers Union est 1910.
In the centre of the banner is the main building at Springfield hospital built in 1840. Surrey County Lunatic Asylum (later known as Wandsworth Asylum) opened on 14th June 1841, catering for 350 bed. Note the red flag flying from its rooftop.
At the bottom of the banner, left side - the cat represents Syndicalism and at the bottom right side a Rat (the bosses - as used on the Friern Barnet banner).
Monday, March 21, 2011
Bankers' Taunt Nurses - Now Tories Freeze Nurses Pay
Deutsche Bank taunts NHS rally" title="What a Banker!!!!! A member of staff at Deutsche Bank taunts NHS rally" border="0">
Deutsche Bankers taunt low paid nurses last week
MONDAY 21 MARCH 2011
ANOTHER BITTER BLOW FOR NHS WORKERS
AS PAY FREEZE GRIPS TIGHTER
UNISON, the UK¹s largest union, today reacted angrily to news that the Government is freezing pay for all NHS workers, except those earning below £21,000, calling it ³a bitter blow² for hardworking staff including nurses, paramedics and therapists.
The union dismissed the £250 for those earning under £21,000 such as cleaners, healthcare assistants, cooks, porters and switchboard staff as a totally inadequate token gesture. The increase is below inflation and with the cost of everyday essentials rising, it will be wiped out very quickly.
UNISON is holding its health conference next month in Liverpool where it is widely expected that delegates will vote to reject attempts to reduce pay, as well as pledging to fight back to preserve jobs and services.
The NHS Pay Review Body was hide-bound by the Government¹s pay freeze diktat
across the public sector and the union warned that staff are already angry over Government interference with the independence of the PRB and today's decision will rile health workers further.
To add to health workers¹ problems the pay freeze comes hard on the heels of increased pensions¹ contributions in the recent Hutton report.
Mike Jackson, Senior National Officer for Health, said:
³The Government¹s decision to freeze pay is another bitter blow for hard-working NHS staff.
³The squeeze on NHS finance is already placing a heavy burden on health workers. They see jobs being cut, operations cancelled or delayed and patients suffering as a result.
³It is completely unjust for the Government to make nurses, paramedics, therapists and skilled NHS staff the fall-guys for the financial crisis brought down on the country by the bankers.
³The £250 is a totally inadequate token gesture designed to salve the conscience of coalition MPs. They know that health workers did not cause the crisis, that inflation is going up and that families, already struggling with mounting debts and rising inflation, will suffer because of their decision today.
³I expect widespread anger over pay at UNISON¹s Health Conference next month. The job cuts, cancelled operations and longer waiting times are deeply distressing for health workers and the pay freeze is likely to be the final straw.²
Ends
Notes to Editors
This is the 4th year out of 5 that health workers have had a below inflation
pay award.
RPI rates (March) Pay uplift (April)
2005/6 3.2% 3.225
2006/7 2.4% 2.5% (but only worth 1.9% in England due
to staging)
2007/8 4.8% 2.5%
2008/9 3.8% 2.75%
2009/10 -0.4% 2.4%
2010/11 4.4% 2.25%
2011/12 5.1% (Feb) 0% (1.8% - 1.2% for those below £21K)
Total 23.3% 15.625%
In real terms NHS pay has now fallen back to pre 2005 levels.
Staff now facing NI increase of 1%
Pensions increase of at least 3% 2012-14
Further pay freeze in 2012.
The Coalition of millionaires reward greedy bankers and cut the pay of nurses.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Ambulance Dispute - Hillingdon 1989-1990
Ambulance Dispute 1989-1990
Ambulance workers enjoyed unprecedented levels of public support during the six-month dispute as opinion polls found more than four out of five people consistently backed the unions.
Successive Gallup polls for the Daily Telegraph found even a majority of Conserative voters felt Health Secretary Kenneth Clarke should come up with more cash as he took the brunt of the blame for the disruption to patient services.
Electors said they would even be prepared to pay a little more income tax to fund a deal, while other health service staff, including nurses, disclosed that they would not demand an equal pay rise if ambulance crews and control room staff were awarded more than the going rate.
Such sympathy was evident daily by the millions of pounds that filled the buckets
thrust forward by the ubiquitous, fluorescent-jacketed ambulance staff that became as much a part of shopping centres as Boots and McDonalds.
thrust forward by the ubiquitous, fluorescent-jacketed ambulance staff that became as much a part of shopping centres as Boots and McDonalds.
TUC General Secretary Norman Willis told how would-be queue-jumpers were ordered to the back of the line while he waited patiently to add his name (no doubt again) to the record-breaking petition.
All good stuff for the unions but, of course, it was never ordained to be so, as prevous disputes involving NHS workers in the 1970s and early 1980s demonstrated.
This time round the five unions involved COHSE, NUPE, TGWU, NALGO and GMB — paved the way for their own success by breaking new ground with a slick public relations campaign that went further than any previously used by a workforce during a dispute.
The initiative was seized with a strategy that had its effect on the wider world of statements and actions worked out, instead of merely addressing the troops, and realised the importance of newspaper, radio and TV in getting a message across.
Once a groundswell of public opinion had been generated, every opportunity was taken to portray the crews and not the Government as the patient's friend and to hammer home a simple message.
Initiatives were repeatedly launched to make the running rather than merely provide reaction which, by staying one step ahead, often wrong-footed the Government and kept the Departmental of Health on the defensive for much of the time.
Frequent press conferences, a national demonstration, the petition, a quarter-hour of action and even a hunger strike kept the dispute in the public eye when it might have been forgotten.
The unity displayed by the five unions and the absence of what for the NHS used to be traditional in-fighting, rivalry and factionalism allowed a united front to be displayed which forced journalists to look towards the Government for splits and divisions.
In that vein, tasks were allocated to avoid repetition and confusion. NUPE's Roger Poole, the chief negotiator, became the public voice and was constantly in the media, modelling a new hair cut and a businessman's suit to look as well as sound the part.
Meanwhile, COHSE's Bob Abberley beavered away behind the scenes in Parliament to put crucial political pressure on Ministers which was as important.
Several years ago everyone would have been clamouring to appear on TV as they jockeyed for status and, no doubt, future members. Now a trio of those involved, COHSE, NUPE and NALGO, could end up merging — partly as a result of the demonstration that they can work together.
The two immediate goals of the dispute
— a substantial pay rise and new pay machinery — were constantly pressed home in simple, relevant terms by the unions, while other issues such as local bargaining and privatisation which the public would either not understand or have less sympathy with were left in the background.
Opinion polls showed that the ambulance worker-supporting public did not know what the Government's offer was or how the pay mechanism demanded would work. But what they did believe was that crews were worth more, and the new system would just about rule out future industrial action.
The employers, on the other hand, varied their official spokesman between Kenneth Clarke, NHS chief executive Duncan Nichol, and David Rennie, who chairs the employers' side on the Whitley Council negotiating body, with the result that apparent differences of opinion were interpreted as splits.
In many respects the unions' public relations campaign set a model for others to follow and established standards by which they will be judged in the future.
The strategy was not entirely new, although the effective use of the latest communications technology which meant Poole and Abberley could always be reached for an instant quote did break new ground.
After all. National Union of Railwaymen General Secretary Jimmy Knapp
projected himself very successfully last summer as the passengers' friend in the confrontation with BR over pay and bargaining rights by hammering home a simple message and making it relevant to the wider travelling public rather than limiting the dispute to the interests of his members.
projected himself very successfully last summer as the passengers' friend in the confrontation with BR over pay and bargaining rights by hammering home a simple message and making it relevant to the wider travelling public rather than limiting the dispute to the interests of his members.
And the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions hired a PR firm with close links to the labour movement to get their message across in the shorter working week campaign.
But the five national negotiators, dubbed the "famous five" for the way they often appeared together and even started wearing matching overcoats, took PR a significant step further.
The dispute was right for the tactics. Ambulance workers had a reasonable it not a good case and have a high public profile because of the life-and-death nature of the job. The timing of the dispute was also right in that the polls had already started to move against the Government, which the unions were able to capitalise on.
Flashing blue lights and 999 sirens provided excellent TV pictures in particular and the service has something of a glamorous image for outsiders.
Further, crews used to dealing with the public in high-pressure situations adapted
well to the glare of TV lights and, judging by the number of local stunts launched,
actually liked the media attention.
well to the glare of TV lights and, judging by the number of local stunts launched,
actually liked the media attention.
Running a similar campaign on behalf of other low-paid groups such as ancillary workers — however deserving — will not be as easy. But the lessons are there and should be learnt.
Splits and in-fighting in the union camp would have been reported. Violent picketing and clashes with the police would have made attention-grabbing TV pictures. Disputes will be covered in the form they occur. It's up to the unions how they want to run their campaigns, but if it's public opinion they want on their side, they could do worse than copy the ambulance workers.
Kevin Maguire is the Daily Telegraph labour correspondent.
He writes here in a personal capacity.
COHSE Journal May 1990
NOTES
In my experience, this was undoubtedly one of the best led strikes in the NHS, the ability to use the media and the discipline of local Ambulance union reps and members was key to winning and maintaining public support.
The hub of the dispute was undoubtedly London and West London in particular most notably Park Royal, Feltham, Twickenham and Hillingdon ambulance stations.
Crews in Birmingham, Merseyside and Dorset were also very strong
The tactic of slowly increasing pressure on employer (overtime bans, emergencies only etc) forced the management in frustration to effectively “lock out” ambulance staff by refusing to send any calls to these stations and bring in the Army.
The Crews responded by occupying the ambulance stations as they did at Hillingdon, the management being forced to issue injunctions, but with little effect.
Elsewhere, in the country, Ambulance management in many areas did not follow London’s tactics and the crews remained at work, allowing them to secure even more support and money for those “locked out”.
Nine weeks into the dispute the Health Service Journal reported that an estimated 27 out of 44 ambulance services were operating a 999 only service.
Kenneth Clarke’s remarks that ambulance workers were little more than “professional drivers” totally incensed the crews.
On January l3th 1990 75,000 attended a TUC national demonstration in support of the ambulance workers and on 30th January a day of solidarity, when South London bus drivers came out on strike.
While the dispute was not a total success, the public was confident the unions had rightly won and gave a big fillip of confidence to NHS trade unionists.
Roger Poole was an excellent public speaker and with a CP background understood the need to keep both the public and the members on side. Bob Abberley became know as “Rogers bag carrier” and Jeanette Roe COHSE Regional Officer did Stirling work with Pete Marshall COHSE Regional Secretary in galvanising COHSE members in London.
As the ambulance service had been initially part of Local Government( London County Council) most staff in London were members of NUPE 70-80%. However COHSE had from 1964 built up a small but significant membership based around the leadership of Bill Dunn at Hanwell, West London (The other key COHSE branch being at Park Royal)
The Ambulance dispute started October 1989 – March 1990 and lasted six months
The Great Ambulance petition secured 4.5 million signatures
The Ambulance Strike 1989-1990In November 1989 Ambulance crews at Hillingdon, Heathrow and Pinner were suspended during the Ambulance pay dispute of 1989-1990.
They had refused to cover non-emergency calls as did 68 other London stations
All were suspended and police and army were brought in to cover both emergency and non-emergency
However, suspended ambulance crews continued to provide an emergency service with a dedicated phone line/ Including a plea from staff at mount Vernon to take a severely injured car crash victim to Charring Cross Hospital.
The first local Army ambulance was used in Pinner on November 13th
The staff maintained a vigil at Hillingdon Ambulance station as well as collecting signatures in Uxbridge town centre.
The Ambulance staff had huge public support and the campaign was well run by union leader Roger Poole of NUPE. The success of which helped in securing at least a partial victory on pay and a rare defeat for the Conservatives
Local Stewards
Marion Way (NUPE)
John Drewery (COHSE)
COHSE Homewood Trust Deal 1992
COHSE Homewood Trust Deal 1992
COHSE has signed an agreement designed to reduce the need for strikes with an opted-out trust. The deal with Homewood Trust In Chertsey, Surrey, covers 1,000 employees and provides for binding pendulum arbitration in the event of disagreement.
Under this system, an independent arbitrator, appointed by ACAS, is obliged to decide either In favour of the management or the staff side In a dispute. This Is Instead of attempting to find a midway point. The arbitrator's decision Is binding on both sides.
The agreement has been dubbed a "no strike deal" by the media. In fact. It helps avoid the need for strikes but does not rule them out completely. It the management refuses to follow the procedure to resolve an issue or to accept an arbitration award, Industrial action can be taken, as long as It is within the law and subject to certain guidelines to protect patients.
The deal follows lengthy negotiations aimed at ending a dispute over the trust's attempts to introduce new contracts. Homewood, which runs hospital and community services for people who have a mental Illness or learning difficulties, has now recognised the right of the eight unions which have members employed by the trust to bargain on behalf of new staff.
A bargaining forum to negotiate pay and conditions is being set up under the agreement, with four union and four management seats. COHSE, as the chair of the local staff side, will be represented.
Both sides have also committed themselves to working towards a minimum wage and looking at common conditions for all staff and performance-related pay. Details of how these commitments will be put Into practice have yet to be negotiated.
Local union representatives have welcomed the deal as a positive move away from the trust's previous attitude. "Having won recognition Is a great victory for the unions," said Robbie Marmion, the local branch chair.
A copy of the agreement can be obtained by ringing COHSE's communications department.
COHSE Bulletin April 1992
MORE INFORMATION
This was a unique agreement based on "pendulum arbitration" a form of industrial relations commonly discussed in the early nineteen nineties.
While the agreement was widely condemned, primarily because it was favoured by the then right wing leadership of the Engineering (AEUW) Unions and Electricians Union (EEPTU).
However, this version was much more pragmatic and also delivered a single pay spine and ultimately a pay rise above that obtained in other NHS Trusts much to the consternation of the Tories.
Despite attempts to characterise the agreement as a no strike agreement, the agreement did not preclude that action should agreement not be reached.
Two key players in this agreement was Roy Lilley Chairman of the Trust (and then a Conservative Councillor) and Tim Carter COHSE Branch Secretary.
COHSE would go on to embrace local pay bargaining not as a threat but as an opportunity to build health trade union organisation.
COHSE is now part of UNISON
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Save Our Blood Service
Debbie Jones UNISON South East Blood Service Convenor stated
"We are fully committed to maintaining the blood collection service on the Isle of Wight and a delegation from the Isle of Wight blood collection team will be attending the demonstration on Saturday March 26th in London we hope many of our blood donors will join us".
Michael Walker UNISON Regional Officer states
"UNISON nurses and donor carers will fight any attempt to privatise the NHS Blood Service and we urge the public to support our campaign in the coming months".
Tories Attempt To Privatise Blood
“What is this Government thinking of, is nothing safe? The blood service is world class and doesn’t need interfering with.
It epitomises how successfully volunteers and the public sector can work together, free from contamination by the profit motive. It is a service people are proud to work in and you cannot put a price on giving blood to save lives.
“We know from all the evidence that fragmenting services, outsourcing and the contracting out damages that ethos and more importantly damages the smooth running of the service.
“How can Cameron and Lansley claim that the NHS is safe in their hands, when they are planning to literally drain its lifeblood.”
Michael Walker UNISON Regional Officer states
"Blood Service Collection teams are fully committed to an NHS run blood service, so are the donor's who donate their blood, any attempt to privatise the service will be meet with a tidal wave of opposition from staff and donors. The Government should be under no illusion that we will fight any attempt to introduce profit making into the blood service, We have fought similar proposals from previous Conservative Governments, including the use of direct action and the staff will not hesitate to do so again"
" DH looks to private sector to save money on blood service
16 February, 2011 | By Sarah Calkin
The Department of Health is considering outsourcing key elements of the NHS blood service to the private sector. HSJ has learned the DH’s commercial directorate has held talks with private providers about running parts of the NHS Blood and Transplant service. It is not known which companies the department has already spoken to, but HSJ understands NHS Supply Chain, which is operated by logistics firm DHL has been invited in for discussions, as has Capita.
A senior source told HSJ the commercial directorate were “market testing the blood transfusion service” and “bringing people in to see how they would do it better”. NHS Blood and Transplant survived the cull of arms length bodies in July but a second review was announced to look at how the service could become more “commercially effective” and identify functions which could be contracted out.
HSJ has been told the DH is considering outsourcing blood distribution and storage but keeping its collection in the NHS. A DH spokeswoman confirmed the department was reviewing the future of the service. She said: “It is important to recognise that NHSBT already outsources some of its support functions. The current review is at the early stages.
“During the review, we will be considering the experience and skills that exist in the private sector to identify opportunities for making NHSBT more commercially effective. “We are not considering any functions that could risk destabilising the current national donor system, particularly the interface with donors. Where functions are being reviewed, ministers will be fully consulted before making any recommendations.”
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Bankers Taunt Nurses
Banker suspended after Sunday Mirror challenges Deutsche Bank over £10 taunt to nurses and doctors
by Nick Owens, Sunday Mirror 13/03/2011
A bonus-happy banker taunts nurses and doctors marching below by waving a £10 note...
Mistaking medics chanting “Save Our NHS” and “No More Cuts” for an unemployed mob, he sneeringly mouths: “Get a job.” A laughing friend shares his sick joke.
Last night the smirk was wiped off the banker’s face after the Sunday Mirror showed the picture to German giant Deutsche Bank in London.
Bosses at the firm where investment bankers are on a basic of £350,000 – plus bonuses averaging £54,000 – immediately suspended him.
Angry Dr Ron Singer, chairman of the Medical Practitioners’ Union, who was on the NHS Day X march on Tuesday, said: “It was shocking to see people acting in this way when we passed the bank.
“If it wasn’t for the greed of bankers the economy wouldn’t be in such a mess and there’s a good chance the NHS wouldn’t have to be making devastating cuts.
“We were marching for the rights of ordinary people. To be abused like this was sickening.”
Nurse Sonia Thomas added: “When I saw what they were doing – waving money at us – it left me so angry. They clearly have no idea of the problems faced by people in the real world.” The banker’s antics came in the week it emerged that taxpayer-rescued Royal Bank of Scotland is paying boss Stephen Hester £7.7million for last year, even though it made a loss.
And Parliament heard disgraced former boss of RBS Fred Goodwin has a super-injunction preventing publication of a story about him.
Barclays chief Bob Diamond will get £27million for last year, with his 231 earners getting an average of £2.4million each.
The 1,000-strong march was staged to protest against David Cameron’s plans – never mentioned in the Tory manifesto last year – to tear up the structure of the NHS to bring in more private enterprise.The protest passed Deutsche Bank’s City base en route to world-famous St Bart’s hospital.
The bank’s chief executive Josef Ackermann, paid £8million in 2009, has been a staunch defender of bank salaries.
His firm fought a long battle with the Inland Revenue to try and avoid its staff having to pay tax on bonuses.
The bank said: “These photos appear to show conduct that is unacceptable and unrepresentative of our bank.
“We have suspended the individual involved and will hold him accountable for his actions.”