Hospital workers at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride are being forced to have “embarrassing and humiliating” conversations about their personal financial details with management, following changes to the payroll system which will see staff lose a week’s pay.
Workers at Hairmyres hospital say they’ll struggle as new payroll system is introduced.
A new payroll system is set to be rolled-out at the hospital in May, but the plans by the contractor ISS are set to include delaying paying workers’ their wages for one week on the first payment.
Staff are currently paid in arrears on a fortnightly basis and the delay will mean they will receive two week’s pay covering a three-week period, with a weeks’ worth of wages retained by the employer.
Staff should be paid the wages that they are due – not be forced into debt or have to explain their financial circumstances to their bosses.
Workers who will struggle to make ends meet without their wages are currently being offered ‘bridging loans’ to help make-up the shortfall, but the money will have to be paid back to the employer.
In an email to Scottish Labour Health Spokesperson Monica Lennon, one hospital worker wrote:
The ‘financial and emotional support’ we have been offered consists of a one to one meeting with management outlining personal financial details as to why we cannot pay back the bridging loan in the period required. I’m sure you will agree this is embarrassing and humiliating, with no guarantee of the payment plan being extended.
Monica Lennon MSP is Scottish Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary
Scottish Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, Monica Lennon MSP, said:
It’s a scandal that workers are being forced into this situation.
I have written again to the Health Secretary to ask her to condemn the actions of ISS for putting their employees in this position, and to outline what action she is taking to ensure the workers are properly supported.
Staff should be paid the wages that they are due – not be forced into debt or have to explain their financial circumstances to their bosses.
The issue was raised by staff at the Lanarkshire NHS annual review on the 3rd of April, but Jeane Freeman, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, failed to attend, despite being scheduled to do so.
Jeane Freeman was a not only a member of the Labour Party during that time, she was a senior political advisor to First Minister Jack McConnell and part of her role involved the promotion of PFI contracts.
Monica Lennon subsequently wrote to the Cabinet Secretary to share staff concerns, adding that: “I am not holding you responsible for the actions of ISS but I am appealing to you to condemn the way they are treating their staff.”
Ms Freeman’s initial response was to blame the PFI contracts put in place during the last Labour administration but, as some Twitter users pointed out, Jeane Freeman was a not only a member of the Labour Party during that time, she was a senior political advisor to First Minister Jack McConnell and part of her role involved the promotion of PFI contracts.
