NHS workers in London hold strikes over pay and job cuts

Staff at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust have conducted a three-day strike to demand a pay increase from Band 2 to Band 3. Over 100 porters, cleaners, and catering staff marched from the hospital to Downing Street to protest what union representatives describe as poverty-level wages and management issues including bullying and discrimination.

Simultaneously, workers at East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) are conducting a Unite union ballot for strikes. This action responds to proposed job cuts, the victimization of a branch secretary, and concerns regarding pay. Union members are protesting against a proposed below-inflation pay rise for 2027-28, which they argue contributes to a long-term trend of real-terms pay cuts for NHS staff.