Planned strike action by porters employed at Southampton hospital has been suspended after the workers accepted wide-ranging proposals to end bullying and harassment.

The 60-plus porters overwhelmingly voted for extensive strike action beginning in late November. They had endured years of bullying and harassment from management including having toilet breaks and periods monitored, barred from sitting down while at work, and being unable to take water breaks while on duty.

Unite also raised concerns about financial bullying through the unfair allocation of shifts to private agency workers while NHS porters had to survive on minimum wage, many resorting to food banks to feed their families. Porters advocating for patient safety, sufficient staffing and equipment, and a safe culture at work were ignored or disciplined. Through this action, Unite members stood up and clearly said ‘enough is enough, basic human rights and dignity must be respected in the NHS’.

Following marathon negotiations facilitated by the conciliation service ACAS over the last four weeks, the planned strikes in December and January were initially suspended and then called off entirely, after members voted to accept the agreement reached with the hospital to end bullying and harassment. Unite maintains the strong strike mandate until summer 2025 to ensure that the hospital delivers on its commitments to staff.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a tremendously important victory for a group of low paid workers who had been systemically mistreated by management. By being prepared to stand up and be counted, while willing to take industrial action, the porters have ensured a dramatic improvement in their working conditions. Their bravery should be applauded.”

The hospital is now constructively committed to implementing a 67-point plan to resolve the dispute and significantly improve the experience of hospital porters. Unite form a key part of the governance committee to monitor progress of the plan. This includes:

  • Safe culture - an official apology to all affected staff; confirmation that all breaks will be automatically approved and the introduction of compassionate breaks; introduction of a completely new working practice so porters can self-select and self-cancel jobs; improvement of infection control and patient safety practice with porter voices front and centre; the introduction of coaching and leadership training for porter managers and also ensuring they understand the portering role.

  • Safe staffing - all shifts to now become NHS shifts prioritising NHS porters - private agency shifts to be reduced to only cover sick and annual leave; a new rota guaranteeing fixed shifts for all and designed around staff preferences with Unite joint signoff; commitment to review staffing and equipment.

  •  Safe environment - full review of all porter induction and training programme with Unite including a commitment to bring in career progression for all porters and a structural review of the department.

Unite regional officer Kate Attwooll said: “Porters are the lifeblood of the NHS, putting patients first and connecting with compassion and care on a daily basis. This is a group of amazing human beings and they deserve to feel safe and valued at work. This has been an extremely challenging and complex dispute, uncovering over a decade of abuse and misconduct by management. Unite members have stood together and secured firm commitments from management on a landmark deal covering multiple areas of improvement for staff.

“Unite will ensure that every single one of Southampton hospital’s promises is upheld and acted upon. Unite takes a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and harassment in the workplace and we will make certain that it is never allowed to take root at the hospital again. Now is the time for management to deliver.”

ENDS

For media enquires ONLY contact senior Unite communications officer Ryan Fletcher on 07849 090215 or 020 3371 2065. 

Email: ryan.fletcher@unitetheunion.org

Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest union with members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.