ancillary workers in the National Health Service now face further Increases in their workload Bebind the backs of their members, the trade unions in the NHS have accepted a deal that gets the workers a joke pay increase of 56p, in return for a big extension of their duties.
At present there are two grades of workers. Grade A consists of domestic workers. Grade B-now due to be phased out-is for ward orderlies.
The new hereement means that ward orderlies will be classified as Grade C. The new grade means that. ward orderlies will have to take on duties which ate now done by nurses. They will also bave to take on a num ber of jobs which have been previously classified as porters work. These Include taking patients around the hospitals.
EXTENSION
The other extension of ancillaries' work will be taking and delivering messages for nursing staff a job normally done by nurses, auxiliaries ur receptionists. In time this could lead to redundancies amonest auxiliaries and receptionists. Red Weekly 29 Aumust 1974, Ancillaries will also have to make unoccupied beds. One-deliberately ambiguous phrase-talks about ancillaries 'undertaking domestic duties as instructed in order to relieve nursing staff of now nursing duties*, Another sweeping change in the duties of ancillary workers is that they will be expected to do such other patient orientated tasks under the supervision of the nursing staff as may be required.
The agreement stipulates that: *Entry to Ward Orderly Puy Group B shall cease after the date of this letter, Only those Ward Orderlies then in post whose duties do not meet the job description set out above may retain their Grade B grading on a personal basis until such time as they are promoted or leave the service...
The sum of this agreement is clear. Jack-up the work load, at the cheapest possible cost-and Sop a week is very cheap! Divide and split the workforce. The nursing staff, underpaid and over worked, will tend to view it as means of casing their already intolerable burden.
This agreement once again raises the issue of workers" control in the either accepting a swingeing increase lead to a further deterioration in the manning scale.
Ancillary workers must insist that duties. Furthermore that all allocations of staff be determined by the worker and not by the hospital administration. in the work load which will inevitably health care, or insisting on control of there be no further increases in their
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