Workplace Wins

Your CSP steward and safety rep are there to support you on individual workplace problems and to help coordinate collective responses to problems affecting groups of members. 

Win 1: Community staff car parking 

Community staff based at a north west hospital were having to pay for car parking at work, despite needing their car for work duties. The staff approached their CSP steward, Barbara, who contacted the other staff unions and together they submitted a collective grievance. They worked together to prepare for the grievance hearing, including compiling evidence and getting staff to submit written statements and attend the meeting. As a result, community staff do not have to pay any parking costs while parked at their work base. 

Win 2: Lone working policy 

Steph, a safety rep at a central London hospital, carried out a workplace inspection, which revealed that there was no physiotherapy lone working policy. She contacted the lone worker staff in the department and invited them to make suggestions as to what should be contained in a policy. A physiotherapy policy working group was established, made up of two physios, the physio services manager and Steph. A new lone working policy has now been agreed, which helps to ensure the safety of the lone workers. 

Win 3: Partnership working  

A number of members of the staff side at a hospital in the East Midlands had pressure put on them by middle management to reduce the time they spent on trade union work. The union reps, including Joshua, the CSP steward, raised this at a joint staff-side and management partnership working meeting and called for a collective solution to the problem. As a result, HR agreed to send a communication to managers highlighting the importance of partnership working within the trust. The trust also agreed for the trade unions to have a slot in the corporate induction video where the director of HR, the chair and chief operating officer spoke about the benefits of working with trade unions. In addition, the trust’s communications team worked with the union reps to develop leaflets promoting trade union membership and also helped to develop a staff-side web page. There is now a much more positive relationship between the unions and management. 

Workplace issues?

If you need support on an employment matter or on health and safety, contact your workplace rep in the first instance. Or call the CSP Enquiries Team on 020 7306 6666 or enquiries@csp.org.uk