The Leading News & Information Service For The Facilities, Workplace & Built Environment Community

New Five-Year Contract for ISS Despite Pay and Conditions Dispute

New Five-Year Contract for ISS Despite Pay and Conditions Dispute
22 July 2020
 

ISS Mediclean has signed a new five-year contract with Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, amidst reports of concerns about poor wages and working conditions.

According to HuffPost, the contract was awarded under a “voluntary ex-ante transparency” (VEAT) notice, which allowed it to bypass the tendering process due to complications surrounding COVID-19.

Unions are calling for ISS to deliver pay and conditions that provide parity with NHS colleagues at the hospital.

The contract is worth an estimated £30 million. 

 

“Matt Hancock should put the brakes on this contract until there’s been a full investigation into the issues. Otherwise unions will be forced to make a formal challenge to the awarding of the contract.”

– Maggi Ferncombe

Regional Secretary, UNISON London 

 

An “Outrageous and Blatant Attempt to get Around the Rules”.

 

The initial contract was awarded to ISS Mediclean in 2015 and included waste management, patient catering, retail catering for staff and visitors, healthcare cleaning, portering, security services, window cleaning, pest control, and linen management.

The contract has come under scrutiny recently, with the terms and conditions of ISS staff contracts at the trust described as “ much inferior” in terms of salary, sickness pay, pensions and routes for progression. 

GMB London, the union for outsourced porters, domestics, cleaners, catering and security staff employed at the trust, confirmed that they are aware that there has been no enhancement of pay and no better terms and conditions for ISS workers in the extended five-year contract between the Trust and ISS. 

UNISON is lobbying for the trust to scrap the ISS contract and directly employ staff, with London regional secretary Maggi Ferncombe penning a letter to the government to ask for “urgent intervention.”

Ferncombe commented: “This is an outrageous and blatant attempt to get around the rules. It drives a coach and horses through UK and EU regulations.

“Matt Hancock should put the brakes on this contract until there’s been a full investigation into the issues. Otherwise, unions will be forced to make a formal challenge to the awarding of the contract.”

This news comes as the government this week announced above-inflation pay rises for almost 900,000 public sector workers. 

Picture: A photograph showing a cleaning in progress sign

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 22 July 2020

Share



Related Articles

ISS Wins Catering Contract With Kent and Medway NHS Trust

A five-year contract to provide catering services for Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust has been won by ISS. 50 new food host jobs will be created...

 Read Full Article
Dalkia UK Wins FM Contract With The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

Dalkia UK has signed a contract to deliver technical facilities management services at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust’s new Patterson Building. In 2017 there...

 Read Full Article
Kier Wins Contract to Upgrade Birmingham Hospitals

Kier has been appointed by the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust for a three-year programme of upgrades across the estate. The University Hospitals Birmingham...

 Read Full Article
Veolia Signs Hard FM Contract with Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

Veolia has won a multi-million pound FM contract with Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, to implement hard FM services across 144,300 m2 of patient care...

 Read Full Article
Avrenim Announces New Project Wins Worth Over £3.25m

Liverpool FM firm Avrenim has announced a number of new healthcare, commercial and green energy contract wins, with the contract values totalling in excess of £3.25...

 Read Full Article
Sodexo Renews FM Contract at Queen’s Hospital in Romford

Sodexo’s catering, retail and soft services FM contract with Queen’s Hospital in Romford has been extended for a further five years. Sodexo has delivered...

 Read Full Article
Novus Awarded North West and Midlands Healthcare Contracts

Novus Property Solutions has been awarded three hospital-based contracts in Preston, Birmingham and Liverpool. Novus recently completed an external works contract with...

 Read Full Article
NHS Property Services Appoints Hark Systems to Design Smarter Buildings Program

Hark Systems has signed an initial three-month contract with NHS Property Services to improve system efficiency across over 3,600 NHS facilities. The contract will...

 Read Full Article
ISS Signs 2-Year Contract Extension with Warwick Hospital

Warwick Hospital has agreed on an extension to its five-year full FM contract with ISS UK and Ireland. The renewed contract, valued at £7.8 million, includes...

 Read Full Article
Mitie Wins £92.5m John Radcliffe Hospital Contract

Mitie has been awarded a new contract to provide cleaning, portering services, and catering for patients and staff at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Worth...

 Read Full Article