This week there was an escalation in the long running dispute betweeen cleaners, porters and switchboard staff, and their private employers at Whipps Cross Hospital in East London.
By yesterday lunchtime approximately forty workers were on the picket line for the first of three days of strike action involving around 200 members of staff, members of Unison. They are striking to gain "Agenda for Change" levels of wages, agreed three years ago but ignored by Rentokil Initial since they were due to come into force earlier this year.
libcom.org covered the series of one and two day strikes during august two weeks ago, when one of the strikers informed us that they would be moving to three-days per week and then indefinite strike if demands weren't met. Strikers confirmed today that it will be extended to five days and then run indefinitely.
Rentokil has a history of failing to meet pay increases in UK hospitals, with several strikes over pay at hospitals including Barnsley, Birmingham and Stockport since 2004 which met various levels of success.
