UNISONActive is an unofficial blog produced by UNISON activists for UNISON activists. Bringing news, briefings and events from a progressive left perspective.

Wednesday 28 July 2010

Cash Rich Compass ready for more Profit -Workers Demand Sick Pay‏

Workers at Southampton University Hospital and at Buckinghamshire Health Trust yesterday handed in petitions to their Trust Boards demanding that they insist that Compass Medirest must pay sick pay for low paid workers. Workers at Sheffield have just rejected an offer from Compass Chartwells to offer them 16 days sick pay but nothing for the first 6 days. Workers at Westminster Council and Reading are both campaigning for sick pay and improved conditions at work.

What a slap in the face it will be for them to discover that their employer has a problem with £1 Billion of 'free cash flow'. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/754d7974-98df-11df-9418-00144feab49a.html

A warning for all UNISON branches is that this company is ready to expand into other public sector areas. Compass provides catering at Chelsea FC, London's O2 Arena and the Bank of England.

Compass expects more growth in hospitals and schools‏

Leading contractor Compass believes that ‘Healthcare and education are particularly ripe for further involvement of third-party caterers’. Its CEO Richard Cousins says that public sector bodies have been “traditionally a bit slow” to engage private providers but like fellow outsourcing suppliers, such as Serco and Capita, Compass hopes pressure on budgets will force them to change their ways but Mr Cousins does not expect drastic change overnight: “These things take years”.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/754d7974-98df-11df-9418-00144feab49a.html