UNISON statement on bad weather penalty for Bristol Royal Infirmary Hospital staff 16 February 2009

Monday, 16 February 2009

UNISON statement on bad weather penalty for Bristol Royal Infirmary Hospital staff

UNISON, the UK’s largest public service trade union, today stated that it believed the BRI and other regional Hospital management should rethink their plan to deduct pay for staff unable to get into work during the recent bad weather.  The union believes that Management should look at the individual circumstances in each case.

Christina Cook, UNISON Regional Organiser said:

“UNISON does not accept it’s appropriate for the employer to take a blanket approach for all staff here.  We have members carrying out a wide variety of jobs, who may live in rural areas, and who may have had emergency care responsibilities for their own families.

“UNISON would call for a more flexible approach, dependant on individual circumstances.  Other hospitals have talked about rewarding staff who were able to struggle in.  This one seems to be focussing on financially penalising key public sector workers hit be appalling weather conditions.

“It’s disappointing that Management aren’t showing goodwill to the many healthcare workers in the NHS go that extra mile in the course of their day job.

In spite of all the warnings about not putting yourself at risk because of the worse snow and ice conditions for 20 years in the South West, by deducting pay or leave, the employer is encouraging these dedicated NHS staff to put their own personal health and safety at risk by attempting to go into work, and possibly ending up in their own Accident and Emergency Departments needing treatment, which would be have been extremely ironic.”

UNISON has praised Epsom and St Helier NHS trust in Greater London, after it announced that all the hospital staff who struggled into work on Monday 2 February would get an extra day`s leave.  At the same time, the trust agreed that staff who couldn’t make it to work would not lose any pay.

UNISON representatives have a meeting scheduled with the employer at which this subject will be discussed.  UNISON will be encouraging all regional NHS Hospitals to do adopt the same approach as St Helier.

ENDS