Talks resolve dispute that led to strikes at financially troubled hospital trust

Administrative workers at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust – which runs hospitals in Wakefield, Pontefract and Dewsbury – have staged nine days of strike action since last November in a row over compulsory redundancies and pay cuts

After talks with management broke down in March, Unison took the decision to escalate the dispute by balloting all 2,500 of its members at the trust for strike action.

The ballot resulted in a mandate for further industrial action and had the result of raising the prospect of a wide range of medical staff – including nurses, operating theatre staff and pharmacy technicians – becoming involved in the dispute.

Union leaders and hospital managers have since been in talks with in a bid to resolve the dispute ahead of the strikes.

Jim Bell, Unison regional organiser, said managers have now dropped proposals for 70 compulsory redundancies and have improved the terms of salary protection for staff whose pay is to be cut by a process he referred to as ‘downbanding’.

Mr Bell said: “We are not being triumphalist about this. It has been a difficult dispute. The offer is sufficient to draw it to a conclusion.”

He added: “The industrial action undertaken by our members has won benefits but we regret that it was necessary in the first place.

“We look forward to forming a partnership arrangement with the trust, but this must be a partnership of equals.”

Graham Briggs, the trust’s director of human resources, said: “I am delighted that all parties have been able to reach a compromise that gives a longer period of pay protection to allow staff to adjust to the impact of the change, whilst remaining affordable and enabling our service redesign proposals.

“I am sure I speak for all in expressing our thanks to ACAS for their continuing support in helping us reach this positive conclusion of the dispute. Of particular importance in this agreement is the recognition by both the trust and the trade unions that we need a new working relationship and to work together in partnership going forward.”

The trust is seeking to cut its wages bill. It faces severe financial problems with a deficit of £21.8m in 2012-13,