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Cleaners, porters and catering staff at Epsom and St Helier have overwhelmingly backed a strike ballot after campaigners said locally created contracts leave them with lower pay, reduced leave and weaker pensions than colleagues on Agenda for Change terms.
Nearly 400 cleaners, porters and catering staff at Epsom and St Helier hospitals have voted in a strike ballot as they press the Trust for full parity with the national Agenda for Change pay and conditions that apply to most NHS employees. According to the Evening Standard, the workers — represented by the United Voices of the World (UVW) union — say they remain on locally created contracts with lower pay and fewer benefits despite having been brought back into direct employment by the NHS. The union describes the contracts as a “two‑tier” system that treats staff doing the same jobs differently. (Evening Standard; UVW briefing.)
The union has published detailed comparisons to underline the scale of the disparity. UVW says some members are paid roughly £13.85 an hour, compared with the NHS Band 2 rate the union cites at about £14.92; they also point to an employer pension contribution of around 3% rather than the substantially higher contribution associated with NHS pension arrangements, reduced annual leave (about 24 days versus up to 33 for some AfC staff) and the absence of shift enhancements for nights and weekends. The union’s list of demands includes matching Band 2 pay, fair unsocial‑hours enhancements, full sick pay from day one, increased annual leave with service progression and employer pension contributions aligned with NHS schemes. (UVW news release; UVW disputes page.)
The dispute has its roots in the Trust’s phased decision to bring estates and facilities staff in‑house after previously using private contractors. The Trust says it began reintegrating staff in 2018 and completed a further transfer on 1 June 2021, when it invested more than £2 million and applied a London Living Wage uplift to the newly employed staff. Industry coverage at the time described the move as intended to improve workplace equality and formalise NHS employment for roughly 440 formerly outsourced staff. (Evening Standard; Trust statement; Facilitate magazine.)
The Trust insists the move into direct employment produced improved pay and other benefits, and says it is reviewing terms and conditions. In a statement the Trust set out that cleaning, catering and portering staff were made NHS employees in 2021 and that the in‑house approach was intended to deliver better pay and benefits. The Trust has told the press it is engaging with staff and examining contractual arrangements. The union rejects that claim as insufficient, saying the improvements fall short of full AfC parity. (Trust statement; Evening Standard; UVW.)
There are inconsistencies in the public accounts of the dispute that underline the political sensitivities. The Evening Standard reports nearly 400 staff voting in the ballot, while the union’s own material refers to almost 300 facilities workers brought back in‑house in 2021. Both figures point to a substantial cohort affected by the contractual differences, but the variance highlights how different organisations frame the scale of the problem. Trade union campaigns, including a petition hosted by UNISON, have amplified the argument that many transferred staff were not placed onto genuine Agenda for Change terms and should be compensated or re‑graded where appropriate. (Evening Standard; UVW; UNISON action page.)
Agenda for Change is the NHS’s standard pay and grading framework for most staff and encompasses not only pay bands but annual leave entitlements, sick pay arrangements, and pension provision. Unions argue that bringing staff into the NHS without placing them onto AfC terms creates persistent inequality that can damage morale and retention. Sector commentators who reported on the 2021 transfers said the expectation at the time was that insourcing would reduce pay‑inequities compared with contractor employment; the current dispute shows that expectations have not been universally realised. (UVW; Facilitate magazine.)
What happens next is uncertain. UVW says the ballot was carried overwhelmingly and that the union has launched a campaign seeking equality now; its disputes page sets out demands and a plan of action. The Trust says it is reviewing contracts and continues to engage with staff. If talks do not resolve the differences, the ballot could lead to strike action that would disrupt services such as cleaning and catering — functions that, while non‑clinical, are integral to hospital operation and patient experience. Both sides will therefore face pressure to move towards a negotiated settlement. (Evening Standard; UVW; Trust statement.)
Beyond this local dispute, the case at Epsom and St Helier feeds into a wider national debate about the legacy of outsourcing and the patchwork of contracts that followed. Unions and campaigners say it illustrates how partial insourcing without clear alignment to national frameworks can leave long‑term inequalities in place; the Trust and some sector leaders argue that insourcing was, and remains, the right policy but that practical and financial constraints complicate immediate parity. Resolving those tensions will require detailed, and often costly, remedies — from back‑dated payments to contract re‑grading — if the pay and conditions gap is to be closed. (UVW; UNISON; Trust statement; Facilitate magazine.)
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Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is recent, published on August 16, 2025, with no evidence of prior similar reports. The report is based on a press release from the United Voices of the World (UVW) union, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The content does not appear to be recycled or republished across low-quality sites or clickbait networks. No earlier versions show different figures, dates, or quotes. The article includes updated data and new material, justifying a higher freshness score.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The direct quotes from Farrokh Hormoz, a porter at the Trust and UVW steward, and the Trust spokesperson are unique to this report. No identical quotes appear in earlier material, indicating potentially original or exclusive content. No variations in quote wording were found.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from the Evening Standard, a reputable UK news outlet. The United Voices of the World (UVW) union is a legitimate organisation with a public presence. Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust is a verified entity with a legitimate website. All entities mentioned in the report can be verified online, indicating a high level of reliability.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims about staff dissatisfaction and demands for parity with the Agenda for Change pay and conditions are plausible and align with known issues in the NHS. The narrative is covered by a reputable outlet, and the report includes specific factual anchors such as names, institutions, and dates. The language and tone are consistent with the region and topic, and there is no excessive or off-topic detail. The tone is appropriate for a news report, and the structure is coherent.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is recent, original, and based on verifiable sources. The claims are plausible and supported by specific details. The language and tone are appropriate, with no signs of disinformation or manipulation. All entities mentioned are legitimate and can be verified online. No discrepancies or inconsistencies were found.
