Pathology staff will strike over plans to introduce a new shift system without meaningful consultation, which is expected to result in a loss of earnings for staff.

Pay protection has been reduced from five years to two, further undermining financial security when working arrangements change. Staff have also suffered financial losses due to failures to reimburse mileage expenses and late-night taxi travel in line with local agreements, Unite the union says.

Pathology staff are also striking over the failure of the trust to tackle claims of bullying, harassment, and discrimination within the department, even after they were substantiated during an employment tribunal. As a result, these behaviours have been allowed to continue, the union adds.

In clinical engineering, staff strongly oppose the outsourcing of their department and the proposed transfer of roles to Siemens Healthineers. The union says this would erode terms and conditions and would not benefit staff or patients.

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: ‘Industrial relations at the trust have collapsed. Unite will not tolerate our members being bullied or having their jobs, pay and conditions being attacked. These workers have their union's total support in taking strike action.'

The workers will take strike action on 4, 5 and 6 February and industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved.

Unite regional officer, Sujata Virdee, added: ‘Our members are totally dedicated to their jobs but have been forced into taking strike action because of the appalling way they are being treated by the trust.

‘Any disruption that will be caused is entirely the fault of the trust's leadership. The only way this dispute will be resolved is when the trust rows back on its attacks and puts forward a solution that our members can accept.'

In response, Alan Wishart, director of workforce at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: ‘We're disappointed Unite are taking industrial action as we've had detailed discussions with their representatives in recent weeks and we're keen to continue this constructive dialogue. We also want to make clear that no new shift system has been introduced and no staff have seen their pay reduced as a result.

‘We accept there are long-standing issues that need to be resolved in pathology and we have worked hard to do so.

‘As part of our ongoing response, and to address Unite's concerns, we have offered a number of suggestions which we believe are the basis for further negotiation rather than strike action.'