NHS cleaners may continue strikes

The six-day strike was the latest in a series of action

There could be further disruption at a Tyneside NHS Trust after unions and hospital bosses failed to reach a deal following a six-day strike by cleaners.

About 200 domestic staff returned to work on Tuesday at South Tyneside Foundation Trust following the third strike since mid-July.

The GMB and Unison want to see job descriptions revised to recognise that cleaners assist with providing drinks.

But trust chiefs said cleaners should only be responsible for cleaning.

The GMB said hospital bosses were not listening to their demands and said there could be further strikes if the situation is not resolved.

GMB spokesman Steve Gibbons said: "We have management who don't understand what this dispute is about. We want them to recognise that we assist with drinks. That's all we want in there."

'Core job'

David Shilton, executive director of nursing and clinical governance at South Tyneside District Hospital, said: "Because of the way the national pay scale is organised, people are judged by the number of boxes they tick.

"The unions want us to tick a box that says 'providing direct personal care'.

"Once the tick is in that box, it helps push pay grades higher and higher.

"But it isn't a role we expect from domestic staff. We expect domestic staff to concentrate on their core job, which is keeping the hospital clean."

The trust was looking forward to getting around the table to try to reach an agreement about the way forward, Mr Shilton added.

Hospital managers stepped in to clean wards during the strike, and the trust has rejected claims by the unions that hygiene standards were affected.