Serco owns the contract for all facilities at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, employing 600 health workers across cleaning, catering, portering and security roles.

In May 2025, the company announced plans to change the workers' pay frequency from weekly to monthly. Unison said the move would have caused financial hardship for people, and claims the workers were told that if they refused to accept the new conditions, they would be ‘fired and rehired'.

However, the 600 workers have been told there will no longer be a compulsory transition to monthly pay or any fire and rehire measures. All workers are free to keep their pay weekly if they wish to, and only new starters will be paid on a monthly basis.

The move came after 99% of Unison members at Serco backed walking out over the plans.

Unison Forth Valley NHS branch secretary, Karren Morrison, said: ‘I am proud to have led the branch throughout this hugely successful campaign. The solidarity, strength and commitment shown by our members has been truly inspiring, every one of them played a part in this.'

In response, a Serco spokesperson, said: ‘Following our consultation relating to pay frequency with colleagues at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, we have agreed that staff can voluntarily choose to move to monthly pay.  

‘This decision reflects our ongoing commitment to listen to our colleagues, and to implement any agreed changes in a structured and considered manner.'