Workers from hospitals across Lancashire are set to rally this weekend over their working conditions.

The workers, employed by private healthcare firm OCS at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Trust, will picket and rally in Blackpool on Saturday (August 20).

The picket will start at 7am outside The Harbour Hospital on Windmill Rise.

At 10am there will be a march from the hospital to the Marton Institute, in Oxford Square, where there will then be a rally.

A UNISON spokesperson said Blackburn strikers will be going to Blackpool.

OCS staff, who work at hospitals across Lancashire including Accrington, Blackburn and Rossendale, recently made a video detailing why they are holding the rally at the weekend.

In the video, several people held up cards detailing the reasons for their rally, including sick pay and annual leave equal to staff directly employed by the NHS.  

They cards read: “We are cleaners, porters and caterers at hospitals in Lancashire.

“We want to tell you about our strike but our employer has said we can’t speak to you so we will use these cards instead.

“Our employer OCS doesn’t treat us the same as other staff doing the same job.

“This means we don’t get paid sick pay or the same annual leave. And we don’t get the same rate for nights or weekends. We are struggling to pay the bills.

"We are on strike to win the treatment we deserve. We are not asking for much, just the same as our colleagues.

“Please support us by sharing this video and coming to our rally at the Marton Institute in Blackpool.

“Together we rise.”

Health workers across the county voted to strike in June.

Until April this year, OCS staff were paid less per hour than NHS colleagues doing the same jobs.

Pressure from UNISON led to the trust and OCS agreeing last summer to match NHS pay rates. This meant a 69p increase to £10.19 an hour for the workers.

But, unlike employees working directly for the NHS, OCS workers get no extra money for night, weekend or bank holiday shifts.

If OCS employees fall ill, they get only statutory sick pay of less than £100 a week.

This means many are forced to keep working when unwell because they can’t afford to be off, potentially putting patients at risk, says UNISON.

Colleagues employed by the NHS receive their full wages when ill. But both the employer and trust have refused to raise sick pay, annual leave or evening/weekend allowances.

They also won’t agree to backdate the wage increase to May 2021, which is when the workers’ pay complaint was first lodged.

UNISON Regional Organiser Dale Ollier said: “These are NHS workers contracted out to a company that makes millions in profit each year. What they are asking for is both affordable and fair.

“No-one wants to see services disrupted, but OCS needs to make sure workers doing the same job are treated the same. NHS Trusts should not be outsourcing services to avoid the pay and conditions that have been agreed nationally for all NHS staff.

One OCS striker said: “We love the NHS and we are proud to say that we are part of it. We are also proud to have played our part on the front line during the Covid-19 pandemic, keeping services open and patients safe.

“But we don’t understand why we’re not treated the same as everybody else. It’s hard coming into work knowing we are not valued in the same way.”

A spokesperson for Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust said: “We have regularly, and continue to engage with OCS and Unison in respect of this ongoing dispute between OCS and their staff who are members of Unison. 

"As a result, and in addition to the current contractual arrangements, the Trust has made significant additional investment to achieve salary parity for OCS staff working on the Trust’s contract in line with the NHS scale and the National Living Wage. 

"We hope the ongoing constructive dialogue will continue and yield a positive outcome.

“We recognise and acknowledge the excellent contribution of OCS staff to the quality of care we provide to our service users”

OCS has been approached for comment.