Members of the trade union GMB working for healthcare management services organisation ISS at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLAM) are to receive a pay award of 2.3% following a vote for strike action.
In a ballot that closed on 12 November 2018, GMB members voted 98.8% in favour of industrial action over what the union described as a failure by ISS to action a pay award or offer for 2018-19.
Mick Butler, regional organiser at GMB, said: “This was an overwhelming vote by members to support strike action in GMB Union's dispute with ISS for a fair pay rise for our hardworking members in SLAM.
“It clearly shows the strength of feeling and anger amongst our members who have not been awarded any pay offer this year."
Butler added: “Strike action is always a last resort for GMB and for our members, but sometimes the matter is taken out of our hands. Our members work hard for their wages and deserve a decent pay rise to reflect this."
Following the result of the ballot, ISS requested a meeting with GMB. After this, the pay offer was communicated to workers, which resulted in the majority of GMB members voting to accept, the union said.
The 2.3% pay award will be backdated to 1 May 2018.
Butler said: "If valued GMB members had not voted in the strike action ballot the way they did, showing their solidarity, I believe that there would have been a very strong possibility that this year's pay rise would have never been awarded.
"Our goal is to strive towards all GMB members being on the London living wage and to improve the terms and conditions of work. Our members should all be very proud in what they have achieved in this dispute; it would not have been possible without their support and by sticking together as a collective group of GMB union workers."
ISS was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.
