Hospital staff start overtime ban

Hundreds of hospital workers are to start an overtime ban in a protest over pay levels.

About 600 catering staff, cleaners and porters at four hospitals in Newcastle are involved in Friday's action before a planned strike on Monday.

Public sector union Unison claims some long-serving workers are being paid less than new recruits.

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust says it is a nationally-agreed deal and Unison is trying to pick and choose from it.

The action will affect Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary, General, Freeman and Walkergate hospitals. It comes despite talks between the two sides this week.

'Deeply disappointed'

Unison said the long-running dispute concerns new workers 'leapfrogging' long-serving members of staff and getting more pay for the same job as a result of the new NHS pay system Agenda for Change.

Unison regional officer Ian Daley said: "I am deeply disappointed that the trust has chosen not to address these issues.

"The chief executive claims that they cannot vary a national agreement but the truth is that trusts and unions up and down the country have been quietly negotiating local agreements within the national framework to their mutual satisfaction."

The trust said there was no evidence of similar action elsewhere in the country and Unison had not provided evidence of local settlements.

Trust chairman Sir Miles Irving said: "The trust would wish to give an assurance that it is doing everything that it can to ameliorate the situation and protect patients from the inevitable impact of this most unfortunate disruption to our services."