Unite Strike at BHRUT over Pay, Bullying and Siemens Outsourcing

Key Points

• Pathology and clinical engineering staff at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) are set to stage a three‑day strike over imposed shift changes, loss of pay, bullying allegations and outsourcing plans.
• The industrial action has been called by Unite the union, which says members have “no choice” but to walk out after what they describe as a lack of meaningful consultation and failure to address serious workplace concerns.
• Pathology staff will strike over the introduction of a new shift system that workers say has been imposed rather than negotiated, and which is expected to reduce their overall earnings.
• Staff accuse the trust of cutting pay protection arrangements from five years to two years, leaving workers more financially exposed when rotas and working patterns change.
• Unite reports that employees have suffered additional financial losses due to the trust’s alleged failure to reimburse mileage expenses and late‑night taxi costs, despite local agreements that should cover such payments.
• Pathology workers are also taking action over what they describe as a persistent culture of bullying, harassment and discrimination inside the department, which they say has continued even after an employment tribunal upheld key elements of their claims.
• Clinical engineering staff, who maintain and manage medical devices across the trust, strongly oppose a plan to outsource their department and transfer roles to Siemens Healthineers.
• Unite and affected staff argue that the proposed transfer would erode existing terms and conditions, threaten job security and ultimately fail to deliver benefits for either staff or patients.
• The planned strike will take place on 4, 5 and 6 February, with Unite warning that industrial action is likely to escalate if the dispute is not resolved.
• Pathology staff play a critical role in diagnosing, treating and preventing disease by analysing blood, tissue and cell samples, while clinical engineering staff are essential to keeping medical technology safe and operational.
• Unite is urging the trust’s leadership to return to the table, restore full pay protection, address bullying findings in a transparent way, and halt the outsourcing plan.
• The trust, which runs hospitals serving communities in Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge, is expected to face significant operational pressure during the strike, with contingency plans likely to rely on redeploying staff and prioritising urgent work.
• Patients are being advised to attend scheduled appointments unless contacted directly, but some non‑urgent work and routine procedures may face delays if the dispute continues.

Barking (East London Times) January 31, 2026 – Pathology and clinical engineering staff at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust are preparing for a three‑day walkout in early February, in a dispute over imposed shift changes, reduced pay protection, unresolved bullying findings and plans to outsource key clinical engineering roles.

Unite, which represents the striking workers, says the trust has “ridden roughshod” over staff by forcing through a new shift system in pathology, cutting long‑standing financial safeguards and failing to act decisively on employment tribunal findings that upheld claims of bullying, harassment and discrimination within the department.

The union adds that clinical engineering staff now face the prospect of being transferred to Siemens Healthineers under an outsourcing proposal which, they argue, will worsen working conditions and destabilise services that are critical to patient safety.

Why are pathology staff at BHRUT going on strike?

Pathology staff at BHRUT say the immediate trigger for the strike is a new shift system which they claim has been introduced without “meaningful consultation” and which is expected to leave many workers financially worse off. According to Unite representatives, the revised rota structure alters the pattern and weighting of enhanced payments, undermining the earnings of staff who already work nights, weekends and unsocial hours to keep services running around the clock.

Workers also highlight the decision to reduce pay protection from five years to two years, a move they describe as a serious blow to financial security when working arrangements are changed.

Under the previous system, staff whose roles or shifts were altered were shielded from sudden income drops for a longer period, giving them time to adjust; the shorter timeframe, campaigners say, exposes households to abrupt losses they may struggle to absorb.

In addition, pathology staff report that they have experienced financial detriment because the trust has allegedly failed to honour local agreements on expenses. Staff claim that mileage reimbursements and late‑night taxi fares, which should be covered when workers are required to travel or finish late, have not been consistently paid, further eroding take‑home pay for those already under pressure from the shift redesign.

What bullying and discrimination concerns have staff raised?

Beyond pay and rota arrangements, pathology staff are striking over what they describe as a longstanding pattern of bullying, harassment and discrimination within the department. Workers say these concerns were serious enough to be taken to an employment tribunal, where elements of the allegations were substantiated and findings made in favour of staff.

Unite argues that, despite those tribunal conclusions, the trust has not taken sufficient steps to root out inappropriate behaviours or hold individuals accountable. Staff contend that this failure has allowed a “toxic” culture to persist, leaving some employees feeling unsafe, marginalised or undermined in their daily work.

The decision to include bullying, harassment and discrimination in the strike mandate reflects a broader push by staff to link workplace culture with patient safety. Front‑line employees insist that departments marked by fear or intimidation struggle to retain experienced professionals, communicate openly about risks or mistakes, and maintain the morale needed for meticulous laboratory practice.

How will the new shift system and reduced pay protection affect staff?

Workers say the new shift arrangements will change both the structure of rotas and the distribution of premium payments that compensate staff for unsocial hours. In practice, this is expected to mean fewer high‑rate shifts for some staff, changes to start and finish times, and a potential increase in work intensity on certain patterns, resulting in lower overall earnings despite rising living costs.

The reduction of pay protection from five to two years compounds those financial pressures. Staff whose roles or rotas are reconfigured will now have a much shorter cushion before their income is cut to the new, lower level. For employees with mortgages, childcare responsibilities or other fixed costs, Unite warns that this could push families into financial difficulty or force them to seek alternative employment.

By linking the strike directly to these changes, Unite is signalling that members are not only trying to reverse a single rota proposal but also to defend the principle that major contractual shifts should not be imposed without negotiation and adequate safeguards.

The union maintains that fair pay protection is essential to enabling service redesigns without disproportionately punishing individuals who have committed to highly specialised NHS roles.

What is happening in the clinical engineering department?

In clinical engineering, staff are not striking over shifts but over the trust’s intention to outsource the department and transfer roles to Siemens Healthineers. Clinical engineers are responsible for maintaining, calibrating and troubleshooting a vast range of medical devices – from infusion pumps and ventilators to imaging equipment and monitors – ensuring they are safe, accurate and available when needed.

Staff and Unite argue that outsourcing this function risks fragmenting accountability for vital equipment and undermining close working relationships with clinical teams on wards and in theatres.

They fear that a transfer to a private provider will gradually erode existing terms and conditions, creating a two‑tier workforce where outsourced employees face less favourable pay scales, pensions or progression routes than colleagues who remain directly employed by the trust.

Workers also question whether the proposed arrangement will genuinely benefit patients. They warn that if experienced engineers leave rather than accept new contracts, the trust could lose valuable institutional knowledge about legacy equipment, bespoke fixes and local operational quirks that are not easily captured in contracts or manuals. In their view, any short‑term financial savings from outsourcing could come at the cost of resilience and responsiveness when critical devices fail.

When will the strike take place and could it escalate?

Unite has confirmed that pathology and clinical engineering staff will take strike action on 4, 5 and 6 February, staging a coordinated three‑day walkout across the trust. During this period, those participating in the strike will withdraw their labour, with emergency cover typically organised to protect life‑and‑limb services where legally required and agreed through derogations.

The union has also warned that industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved, signalling the possibility of further strike days, work‑to‑rule campaigns or overtime bans. Escalation is likely to depend on whether the trust agrees to resume negotiations, revisits the shift proposals and pay protection decisions, addresses the bullying findings in a tangible way and pauses or reconsiders the outsourcing plan for clinical engineering.

For the trust, the prospect of prolonged or repeated strikes presents a significant operational challenge. Pathology and clinical engineering underpin many routine and emergency procedures, from blood tests and biopsies to the functioning of monitors and life‑support equipment. Even with contingency arrangements, sustained disruption in these areas risks delays, backlogs and increased strain on remaining staff.

How vital are pathology and clinical engineering to patient care?

Pathology services sit at the heart of modern medicine, providing the diagnostic evidence on which clinicians base many of their decisions. Pathology staff analyse blood, tissue and cell samples to identify infections, monitor chronic conditions, support cancer diagnosis and track responses to treatment. Any slowdown or interruption in these services can delay diagnoses, postpone operations and complicate the management of acutely unwell patients.

Clinical engineering plays an equally crucial but often less visible role. Engineers ensure that medical technology is properly maintained, compliant with safety standards and ready for use at all times.

Their work ranges from scheduled servicing and safety checks to urgent repairs when vital equipment fails in theatres, intensive care units or emergency departments. Without reliable clinical engineering support, hospitals face increased risks of cancelled procedures, equipment‑related incidents and downtime that can directly impact patient outcomes.

By taking joint action, pathology and clinical engineering staff are drawing attention to how deeply their work is woven into every stage of a patient’s journey, even though they may have limited direct contact with the public. They argue that protecting their working conditions, pay and professional environment is not only a matter of fairness but also a prerequisite for maintaining safe, timely and high‑quality care.

What are staff and union leaders demanding from the trust?

Unite and its members are calling for several specific steps from BHRUT leadership. First, pathology staff want the new shift system withdrawn or paused while meaningful consultation takes place, with an emphasis on preventing any net loss of income for those required to cover unsocial hours. Second, they are demanding that the trust restore more robust pay protection arrangements, reversing the cut from five years to two and recognising the financial commitments workers have made on the basis of their existing roles.

Third, staff want the trust to fully implement and act upon the findings of the employment tribunal that upheld aspects of their bullying, harassment and discrimination claims. This includes expectations of clear disciplinary processes where warranted, visible cultural change initiatives and an open acknowledgement that such behaviour cannot be tolerated in any department.

Finally, clinical engineering staff and their union representatives are urging the trust to halt the outsourcing plan and keep the department in‑house. They argue that, instead of transferring roles to a private provider, BHRUT should invest in its existing workforce, address recruitment and retention challenges directly and work with engineers to design improvements that preserve public accountability and service quality.

How might patients and local services be affected?

For patients, the most immediate concern is whether appointments, tests or procedures will be cancelled or delayed during the three‑day strike. In most NHS disputes of this type, trusts seek to prioritise urgent and emergency work, including life‑threatening conditions and time‑critical diagnostics, while potentially postponing some routine or elective activity. Patients are generally advised to attend scheduled appointments unless they receive direct communication stating otherwise.

In the short term, the trust is likely to implement contingency plans, which may involve redeploying senior staff, using temporary or bank workers where possible, and rationalising workloads to focus on the most clinically pressing cases. However, if the dispute stretches on or escalates, the cumulative impact could be felt in rising backlogs, longer waiting times and increased pressure on neighbouring services which may be asked to provide support.

Staff and Unite insist that they do not take industrial action lightly and that patient safety remains paramount, but they argue that failing to address the underlying issues – from pay and rota instability to bullying and outsourcing – would ultimately be more damaging. The coming weeks, including the planned strike dates in early February, will test whether the trust and the union can find common ground before disruption deepens for both workers and the communities they serve.