UNISON members working as healthcare assistants in Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust have been campaigning for fair pay and fair role banding since 2018, after it became clear that most staff were undertaking band 3 duties, but only paid at band 2.
Together we achieved a significant step forward in October last year, when UNISON reached agreement with the Trust on a revised job description which reflects what HCAs really do on wards and departments in Pennine Care. This role was evaluated as a band 3, meaning that hundreds of HCA staff are now due a banding uplift.
However, whilst Pennine Care have now agreed a HCA job description which has been evaluated at band 3, they have not yet agreed a deal to ensure staff receive a fair amount of back pay for hundreds of HCA staff, in recognition of work they’ve undertaken at this level whilst only being paid at band 2.
UNISON believe staff should receive back pay up to as far back as 2018 and have put proposal to the Trust in August 2021, but Pennine Care have yet to agree to it – even though thousands of other HCAs in Greater Manchester have received this deal. Sign our petition calling on Pennine Care to Pay Fair for Patient Care.
We call upon Pennine Care to ensure all healthcare assistants who have been working at band 3, but paid only at band 2, are properly rebanded and provided with fair back pay. That means a settlement that provides no less than back pay on a no detriment basis as far back as 2018, in line with the Greater Manchester HCA banding framework agreed at other NHS Trusts in the city region. Pennine Care HCAs deserve fair recognition and reward.
