Hillingdon Hospital dispute update 16 February 1997

1. On Sunday 9 February a Conference of supporters of the dispute took place at Uxbridge Civic Centre. 200 delegates attended and pledged support for the dispute. Over one thousand pounds was raised in a collection at the Conference, and a number of proposals for action were agreed. Strike meetings continue to take place weekly at the Civic Centre.

2. On Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 February some of the strikers visited the Women's Conference, at which they were vociferously supported by some delegates, but not by the platform. The Standing Orders Committee ruled out of order any discussion of the dispute. The following is a quote from a woman who attended the Conference;

   "I have just returned from National Womens conference where the dreaded 'H' word was met with moving into closed session every time someone wished to speak on it or a threat to name people trying to push a discussion. We were told that for legal perposes we could not discuss this and when standing orders were suspended on the Tuesday for a speaker from the picket line to speak a third if not more of the conference walked out and most of the platform left the room. I think this is not the way for women in UNISON to show support for low paid women."

3. On Thursday 13 February the strikers attended the Annual General Meeting of the Greater London Regional Council of UNISON, at which, on a card vote called for by right wing opponents of the strikers, an emergency motion condemning the NEC and supporting the continuation of the strike was passed by 60,000 votes to 25,000 votes. The Greater London Region has agreed to submit the following as one of its two motions to the UNISON National Delegate Conference in Brighton on June 10-13 1997;

   "This Conference censures the National Executive Council for permitting official backing and strike pay to be withdrawn from the Hillingdon hospital strikers in breach of the policy agreed at Conference 1996 and of Rule D2.1.";

4. On Friday 14 February the strikers lobbied the UNISON NEC meeting at Mabledon Place. Only seven members of the NEC even voted to hear from the strikers, and the NEC went on to uphold the decision of the Industrial Action Committee to call off the official dispute.

5. Those strikers who had valid tribunal complaints for unfair dismissal, which were heard at the London North tribunal from 3-5 February 1997, received the tribunal decision on 15 February. The tribunal went against them, and found that their dismissals were not unfair on the following grounds;
   1. the tribunal found that the dismissals (which were for refusal to accept substantial worsening of their pay and conditions) were not due to the transfer of an undertaking (when Pall Mall won the contract for cleaning and other services at Hillingdon hospital) but were due to "an economic and client driven need for change";

   2. alternatively, the tribunal found that there was an "economic, technical or organisational" reason for the dismissals, so that even if they had been related to the transfer of an undertaking they would not have been automatically unfair;

   3. the tribunal found that dismissal was a reasonable response by the employer to the refusal by the strikers to accept the worsening of their terms and conditions;

   4. the tribunal found that there had been adequate consultation with the trade union and staff prior to the dismissals.

6. The strikers agreed at a strike meeting on Sunday 16 February to consider whether or not to appeal the tribunal decision at a meeting in a week's time. UNISON has notified the strikers that the question of whether or not the union will support an appeal is "under consideration".

7. The strikers also received a report of the support they have received. Over six thousand pounds has been raised. However, a target of three thousand pounds a week has been set to enable the strike to continue, and further donations are needed. Donations of ten thousand pounds agreed by each of the Greater London and East Midlands Regional Councils of UNISON have been blocked so far by full time officers of the union. The legal basis for their refusal to make the payments agreed democratically and according to the union rules is not clear. Since the dispute is now unofficial, supporters have argued that there should be no difficulty about making payments in the same way in which payments are made to the (unofficial) Liverpool docks dispute by UNISON branches, Regions and the NEC. However, it may be that UNISON officials continue to block the agreed donations, which makes it all the more important to send regular donations to the Hillingdon Strikers Support Campaign c/o Councillor Wally Kennedy, Civic Centre, Uxbridge, Middlesex;

8. The strikers have resolved to continue canvassing support from UNISON branches and members, and will be taking their demand for reinstatment to the HQ of Pall Mall (their employer) in Acre Lane, Brixton at 12.30pm on Thursday 27 Feburary 1997.

Jon Rogers (jonrog@gn.apc.org)