Staff at busy Cambridge hospital to rally for fairer pay

The staff want the NHS high cost area supplement to be introduced to Cambridge

Staff at a busy hospital in Cambridge will be holding a rally tomorrow (Wednesday, May 27) calling for fairer pay. Medical workers and striking Unite members at Addenbrooke’s Hospital are calling for an NHS high cost area supplement (HCAS) to combat the high cost of living in the city.

Medical staff at the hospital receive no extra pay for working in Cambridge. A recent travel survey commissioned by the hospital trust revealed that over 50 percent of staff from Addenbrooke’s Hospital are having to travel over 10 miles from outside of the city to get to work.

Unite has said high costs are “driving” workers away from the city, which means they are further away from their patients that need their support. Unite is asking that the NHS HCAS payment, which is already given to NHS workers in Oxford and London, is given to workers in Cambridge so that they can afford to live in the city.

The petition launched by Unite about the issue has already reached over 1,600 signatures. Addenbrookes staff involved in the strikes including those who work as porters, clinical engineering technicians, and genomics scientists.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Cambridge is a very expensive city to live in but while the cost of living has risen, workers’ wages have stagnated.

“Our hardworking members who do demanding, important jobs should not be struggling to afford the basics and should be able to live near where they work. Unite completely supports them in their campaign for fair pay.”

This is part of the wider campaign for fairer pay for Unite members in Cambridge. Workers at Cambridge University have also been involved in strikes and are calling for a “Cambridge weighting” supplement.

Over 500 members of the union from Cambridge University including workers from estates management, finance, and student services, are in dispute over another below-inflation pay increase. Staff will now strike until May 29 with picket lines across the university.

Unite regional officer Richard Gates said: “It is becoming increasingly more expensive to live and work in Cambridge and our members deserve better than the way they are being treated.”