Healthcare staff to get back pay 'asap'

A HEALTH board has said back pay will be paid “as soon as possible” after workers said they felt “betrayed” when a deal to correct years of underpayment was pulled at the last minute.

- LUCY JOHN Reporter

Yesterday, we reported that members of the predominantly female, low-paid workforce were due to receive compensation in their pay packets in November to end a previous dispute.

It followed years of staff having to carry out work that fell outside of their NHS band two pay grade.

The compensation could have been as high as £7,000 for some workers, before tax and National Insurance, depending on their circumstances and length of service.

Support workers previously voted to strike over the issue after a two-year campaign for improved wages.

That led to Swansea Bay University Health Board executives pledging to move staff on to a higher pay band and provide recognition payments and back pay by December 31 this year.

However, the health board has now torn up a local agreement that was reached 10 months ago, according to several workers and confirmed by Unison the union.