Hundreds of members from Derbyshire Support and Facilities Services (DSFS) were reportedly set to protest at the hospital's main entrance after their employer decided to derecognise Unite as of 12 June without any negotiations.

It came after Unite led a successful campaign, in conjunction with Unison, to retain pay parity with the NHS for DSFS workers after the firm broke with the NHS and attempted to push through its own, smaller pay rise.

However, due to pressure from Unite, DSFS has asked to hold a meeting with the union, and as an act of goodwill Unite has paused tomorrow's demo.

Unite regional secretary, Paresh Patel, said: "This is a pause of the campaign, not a full stoppage. We welcome DSFS's willingness to engage with Unite, but if talks break down or the employer refuses to resolve this issue Unite will step up its fight to ensure our members continue to have recognition."

In response, a DSFS spokesperson said: ‘Every voice in DSFS is important, and we are committed to doing everything we can to make sure they are heard. We look forward to continuing open and productive discussions with our Unite representatives.'