Workers at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will stage a rally tomorrow as part of an ongoing campaign for fairer pay and a high cost area supplement in Cambridge.
Striking members of Unite the Union based at Addenbrooke’s Hospital are due to gather on Wednesday, 27 May, between 12.30pm and 1.30pm outside the hospital on Hills Road.
The workers are calling for the introduction of an NHS high cost area supplement (HCAS), arguing that the rising cost of living in Cambridge is forcing many staff to commute long distances or leave jobs altogether.
According to Unite, more than half of hospital staff travel over 10 miles into Cambridge for work, based on a recent survey commissioned by the trust.
The union says employees including porters, clinical engineering technicians and genomics scientists are struggling with the city’s high housing and living costs while receiving no additional pay weighting for working in Cambridge.
Unite said the proposed supplement would mirror schemes already in place for NHS workers in London and Oxford.
The campaign has already attracted more than 1,600 petition signatures backing the demand for the payment.
“Workers should be able to live near where they work”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Cambridge is a very expensive city to live in but while the cost of living has risen, workers’ wages have stagnated.
“Our hardworking members who do demanding, important jobs should not be struggling to afford the basics and should be able to live near where they work. Unite completely supports them in their campaign for fair pay.”
The dispute comes amid wider industrial action involving more than 500 Unite members employed by University of Cambridge.
University workers, including staff in estates management, finance, libraries and student services, are also campaigning for a “Cambridge weighting” payment and are continuing strike action until 29 May.
Unite regional officer Richard Gates said: “It is becoming increasingly more expensive to live and work in Cambridge and our members deserve better than the way they are being treated.”
Rally details
When: Wednesday 27 May, 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Where: Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ
