Workers Revolutionary Party - Second day of Ealing Hospital strike

The News Line: News Friday, 14 February 2014 Second day of Ealing Hospital strike

Mass picket yesterday morning outside Ealing Hospital

EALING Hospital porters, domestic, catering and help desk workers held their second 12-hour strike yesterday.

More than 100 GMB members employed by the privateer Medirest at the west London hospital are demanding a living wage, sick pay, enhanced annual leave and no two-tier wage structure.

Strike leader and GMB rep Bhim Raj Rhai told News Line that they had received great support on their first 12-hour strike on Wednesday.

He said: ‘Our spirits are high, everybody is very proud to take this track.

‘But the employer is still not responding to our demands, they are trying to block us.

‘All the people employed by the NHS trust are supporting us: doctors, nurses, everybody, patients as well, they all say to us, keep it up, they agree that Medicare is being unfair to us.

‘We are still waiting for Medicare’s response today, but if we don’t get any response we will be holding a full 48-hour strike from next Wednesday morning to Friday morning – no break.

‘Yesterday they brought in scab labour from High Wycombe, Homerton and Barnet by van.’