Industrial action on Monday

As you will be aware, a number of unions have indicated that they will be asking their members to strike from 7-11am on Monday (24th November), in response to the 1% non-consolidated pay rise. In addition, unions are also asking staff to take action ‘short of a strike’ and not complete overtime from 25th to the 30th November inclusive.

We understand your concerns around this issue and we are also keen to ensure we protect patients who call us. The Trust has therefore been working with our Staffside colleagues to ensure this is the case. On the day itself, we will be instigating Gold and Silver cells across the region to assess the impact on our services.

The choice of whether to strike or not lies completely with you as individuals:

• You do not have to go on strike, and if you work as normal you will be paid at your normal rate.
• You may choose to work under exemptions. This means you will be based from your reporting base picket line and only undertake certain duties (agreed in advance with UNISON), to make sure that most seriously ill and/or injured patients still get the care they need. If you respond under exemptions you will be paid as normal for the full strike period. You can download the full list of agreed exemptions here.
• You may strike for the four hour period, meaning you do not come into work or complete any of your normal duties. You will not be paid for those hours.

More information on this and further details about what you can and can’t do if you choose to strike are covered in the industrial action FAQ document, which has been produced with Unison. Please take the time to read both this and the exemption document, as they provide a wealth of information.

It is vitally important we ensure as far as possible that our service, and more importantly our patients, do not suffer as a result of this national issue. We do however understand that these issues affect staff in the NHS. I would like to thank you all for your continuous and ongoing commitment despite the challenges and difficulties we face. Your constant dedication to providing the best care possible for the patients we serve is exemplary, and makes us very proud to work for this Trust.

If you have any queries regarding the industrial action, please speak to your line manager, Unison representative or email HRadvice@eastamb.nhs.uk.

Anthony Marsh,
Chief Executive