Hospital Worker Faces Sack After PPE Row at Queen Elizabeth’s
A hospital worker at Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital in Woolwich is on the brink of losing his job after a furious dispute over PPE. The man, hired through private company ISS, was told he wasn’t allowed to wear a face mask while doing his rubbish-collecting duties.
Worker Fears Bringing Virus Home to High-Risk Brother
The worker lives with a brother who is extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. He raised concerns with ISS management about the danger of catching and passing on the virus to his family. Instead of support, he faced disciplinary action — supposedly for “violent behaviour.”
Company Denies PPE Links, GMB Hits Back
ISS denies the disciplinary was linked to the PPE dispute and refuses to hand over meeting notes to the GMB union. GMB organiser Helen O’Connor slammed the company’s approach.
“It’s staggering that a complaint about lack of PPE can lead to disciplinary action,” she said. “Employers should be doing everything to protect staff from the virus, not punishing them. “We will fiercely defend our members’ health and safety. If anyone feels at risk due to poor PPE, they must contact us immediately.”
GMB Calls For Outsourced Services To Return In-House
O’Connor added that private firms are failing their workers and the public during the pandemic. The union is campaigning to bring all hospital outsourced services back under NHS control for better care and safety.
