Workers, including porters, domestic, catering and security staff, will walk out from 20- 26 January.
The workers, outsourced to AGH Solutions (AGHS) - a wholly owned subsidiary of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust - in 2018, have already secured a deal to bring their terms and conditions closer to NHS standards. However, the issue of pension harmonisation remains unresolved.
Currently, some AGHS employees receive the NHS pension, while many others do not. The union says the 'disparity is stark':
- NHS domestic: 6.5% employee contribution - 23.78% employer contribution - Defined Benefit Scheme
- AGHS domestic: 4% employee contribution - 3% employer contribution - Defined Contribution Scheme
Joe Wheatley, GMB organiser, said: ‘This dispute is about whether NHS workers retire with dignity or in poverty. We invite the administrators of the trust and AGHS to answer that question.'
In response, Dennis Kentrop, managing director of AGH Solutions, said: ‘We are disappointed that our improved pension offer was rejected by GMB and we were not able to reach an agreement to avoid any disruption to patient care.
‘I hope that we can continue to work with the union to resolve this before 20 January. However, should industrial action take place, we will work through our contingency plans and apply lessons learned from the previous rounds of strikes to maintain the services that we provide to Airedale NHS Foundation Trust.'
