Hospital staff strike over pay

Unison says the pay offer to staff is a "pittance"

More than 100 operations have been cancelled as auxiliary staff at two hospitals stage a 24-hour strike over pay.

The workers are employed by Wirral Hospitals Trust at Arrowe Park Hospital and Clatterbridge Hospital.

The staff have not accepted the pay offer by the trust, which fears industrial action will cause major disruption.

The health care assistants involved in the strike carry out jobs ranging from cleaning and catering, to lab technicians and theatre assistants.

They say they are employed on local contracts, earning less than colleagues who work to national pay levels, and do not earn overtime.

Unison has described a 3.6% offer on an £8,000 salary as "a pittance".

But the trust claims it has offered a 10% deal over two years and says Wednesday's strike is "unjustified".