Strike action to resume at NCA after talks stall

Theatre staff will resume strike action at Northern Care Alliance Foundation Trust (NCA) tomorrow after negotiations stalled.

Salford Royal (c) Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Salford Royal (c) Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

The walk-outs at Salford Royal Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary and Fairfield Hospital in Bury over the use of an outside agency, NHS Professionals, to manage overtime, will be held on Friday, 2 October and Monday, 5 October.

A previous walk out on 14 September was called off to allow further negotiations.  

NCA chief people and strategy officer, Gertie Nic Philib said: ‘We have made a fair and strong offer to UNISON which we believe addresses many of the issues raised in this dispute. 

 ‘UNISON has agreed to put the offer to members, although it is not recommending acceptance. 

 ‘We had asked UNISON to stand down industrial action while members considered the offer, but it was not prepared to do so. We therefore took the time needed to prepare the proposal carefully and make sure we got it right before sharing it. 

 ‘UNISON can still choose to call off the planned industrial action while members consider the offer. Doing so would avoid further disruption to patients and services while giving colleagues the opportunity to consider the proposal. 

‘We remain firmly committed to resolving the dispute through negotiation with UNISON. However, our focus is on maintaining safe services and minimising the impact of industrial action on patients. Industrial action will continue to do further harm on the patients we serve.'

UNISON North West regional organiser Kevin Dolan said: ‘UNISON received an offer from the trust which we deemed unsatisfactory. We advised that we would present the offer to our members with a recommendation for them to reject it. 

‘The trust then requested that UNISON delay putting the offer out to members in order to reword it. UNISON agreed, with the caveat that if the offer were to change, we should reconvene negotiations.  

‘We have not yet received either a reworded or a changed offer, despite several requests. This leaves our members with no choice but to go ahead with the planned walkouts. 

‘Once we receive a new offer from the trust we will share it with our members for them to consider.'

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