To mark the King’s coronation, the PM has announced an additional bank holiday on Monday 8 May “for the whole United Kingdom.” But without action, this will be just like any other day for many hard-working NHS staff.
NHS staff usually get additional pay, and a substitute day’s holiday, when they have to work a public holiday. But the government has refused to agree this. Passing the buck to local NHS trusts to decide means bank holiday pay is a postcode lottery.
We need a health service that is always there for us when we need it. But if NHS staff are on shift while everybody else is spending time with loved ones, they should be paid for the unsocial hours they’re working and get equivalent time off in lieu – just like they would for the usual 8 bank holidays.
UNISON branches do fantastic work all year round to ensure that NHS trusts pay staff the relevant unsocial hours rate or double time overtime rate. Now it’s time to put the pressure on government directly.
Governments in Wales and Scotland have already confirmed they will treat the coronation as a public holiday in the NHS.
Sign the petition to tell Secretary of State for Health Steve Barclay that NHS staff in England working for bog-standard pay on the King’s coronation is wrong. It’s time to put this right.
