Unions face-off with Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust

Unison, along with four other unions, made the move on Friday saying: “This dispute relates, although not exclusively, to issues arising from the trust’s failure to adhere to agreed policies and procedures.”

These include: . The Trust Recognition Agreement, Pay Protection Policy, and Grievance Procedure; . Failure to respond to union queries regarding policies and procedures; . Failure to adhere to employment law e.g. the Employment Relations Act and the Employment Rights Act; . Failure to adhere to Health and Safety legislation e.g. the Health and Safety At Work Act and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations; . Failure to consult with, and disclose information to, recognised trade unions, a breach of the Trade Unions and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act

The list is not exhaustive, it says, adding: “In particular, this dispute has been precipitated by the unilateral decision announced by the trust to impose car parking charges on staff, amounting to a pay cut, which has highlighted the deficiencies in the trust’s consultation and other processes. 

“The trust’s obdurate refusal to consult with recognised trade unions on this matter has left us no option but to lodge this dispute, and to seek the views of our members.

“Unison will therefore shortly be holding a consultative ballot of our members about charges for staff parking.

“Additionally, the unions have invited the chief executive and trust board chair of Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust to a meeting to discuss this issue with union representatives and our members. We hope to receive a positive response to this invitation.”

A spokeswoman for the trust said she couldn’t comment on the policy and procedures issue as no evidence had been provided on what the trust had supposedly done wrong.

On car parking she said: “The trust has a legal duty to consult with the unions if we change employment terms and conditions.”

But she said car parking of charging staff for car parking was not in the terms and conditions with employment and didn’t form part of the contract.

“We don’t have legal duty to consult with the unions around car parking.”

The trust had to manage its ‘cost base’ but also environmental issues adding that the charges were being used to try and stop the amount of cars coming onto the site, but the trust had a reserve for security, lighting and maintenance work.

‘Green’ cars exempt from paying the congestion charge in London would also be exempt from paying at the hospital.

Staff being charged would have to pay £1 a day to park between 9am to 5.30pm with no charging of staff in the evenings or those working at weekends.

The trust was also bringing in a scratch card system so people would only pay when on site.

She added that the Royal College of Nursing and the doctors’ unions were not involved in the dispute.