Hospital porters overtime row sees two-day strike

About 100 hospital porters have started a two-day strike with a dispute about a reduction in overtime rates left unresolved.

Royal Berkshire Hospital workers and the GMB union said staff are being "pushed towards poverty" and a recent offer to bridge a loss of earnings until March was rejected by members.

Sergio Dias, a porter and union representative, said staff at the Reading hospital were reluctant to strike but that long-running concerns have not been addressed.

James Blythe, the chief executive of the Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Trust, said it was "really keen" to resolve the dispute as soon as possible and that services are running normally.

The parties worked with Acas in an attempt to resolve the issue last week but the offer was rejected by 98% of GMB members, the union said.

Louis Bryson, GMB's regional organiser, said: "Workers in our communities getting pushed towards poverty is a disgrace, especially such vital healthcare professionals."

He said senior hospital managers were "penny-pinching the overtime rates of the lowest paid staff" while recruiting more senior management.

Dias added: "This is something we didn't want [to do], We tried by all means not to come to this.

"It's an investment in the future hoping that it will get better... The loss today could be a win tomorrow. We chose the loss today."

The trust said that patients should continue to attend appointments unless contacted directly.

It said that while some patients "may experience longer waits for non-urgent transfers", contingency plans are in place.

"We are really keen to find a way through this," Blythe added. "We know our porters don't want to be on strike.

"We want them back at work so we are committed to getting round the table and trying to find a way through if at all possible."

The industrial action ends at 07:00hrs BST on Thursday.