Strike talks break down at Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust

TALKS to resolve a dispute which led to strike action at the district’s hospitals have broken down.

Unison has accused Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust, which runs Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury Hospitals, of trying to intimidate people taking strike action by singling out an unnamed individual and threatening them with disciplinary action.

But Trust bosses say the disciplinary matter was not related to the industrial action.

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Unison pulled out of a planned meeting on Friday when it learned of the threat to one of its members.

Jim Bell, Unison’s regional organiser, said: “For reasons of confidentiality we cannot reveal the name of our colleague but this bears all the signs of a vindictive attack on one of our members and a deliberate act to scupper negotiations.”

Admin and clerical staff staged a three-day strike on November 20 following a one-day walkout on November 1 in a dispute over cuts to jobs and pay.

Graham Briggs, the trust’s director of HR, said on Friday: “We were available for the meeting that was due to take place between the trust and Unison this morning and were disappointed that Unison representatives chose not to attend.

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“Whilst we cannot comment on individual disciplinary cases due to staff confidentiality, we can confirm that the matter we want to investigate does not relate to official strike action.

“We look forward to the talks resuming. In the meantime we will not compromise the normal management of the trust’s day-to-day business.”

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