The 60-plus porters voted for extensive strike action beginning in late November. They claimed they had endured years of bullying and harassment from management including having toilet breaks and periods monitored, barred from sitting down while at work, and being unable to take water breaks while on duty.

Unite also raised concerns about financial bullying through the unfair allocation of shifts to private agency workers while NHS porters had to survive on minimum wage, many resorting to food banks to feed their families. Porters advocating for patient safety, sufficient staffing and equipment, and a safe culture at work were ignored or disciplined.

Following negotiations facilitated by the conciliation service ACAS over the past four weeks, the planned strikes in December and January were initially suspended and then called off entirely, after members voted to accept the agreement reached with the hospital.

The hospital is now constructively committed to implementing a 67-point plan to resolve the dispute and significantly improve the experience of hospital porters. Unite form a key part of the governance committee to monitor progress of the plan, which includes:

• Safe culture - an official apology to all affected staff; confirmation that all breaks will be automatically approved and the introduction of compassionate breaks; introduction of a completely new working practice so porters can self-select and self-cancel jobs; improvement of infection control and patient safety practice with porter voices front and centre; the introduction of coaching and leadership training for porter managers and also ensuring they understand the portering role.
• Safe staffing - all shifts to now become NHS shifts prioritising NHS porters - private agency shifts to be reduced to only cover sick and annual leave; a new rota guaranteeing fixed shifts for all and designed around staff preferences with Unite joint signoff; commitment to review staffing and equipment.
• Safe environment - full review of all porter induction and training programme with Unite including a commitment to bring in career progression for all porters and a structural review of the department.

The trust commissioned an independent external review, seeking views of all the portering department, which supported its efforts to address the issues raised by the porters.

Unite regional officer Kate Attwooll said: ‘This has been an extremely challenging and complex dispute, uncovering over a decade of abuse and misconduct by management. Unite members have stood together and secured firm commitments from management on a landmark deal covering multiple areas of improvement for staff.

‘Unite will ensure that every single one of Southampton hospital's promises is upheld and acted upon. Unite takes a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and harassment in the workplace and we will make certain that it is never allowed to take root at the hospital again. Now is the time for management to deliver.'