A meeting in Crawley called by North Sussex and East Surrey Trade Unions Council on Wednesday 2nd December offered full support to Zena Dodgson, a trade union activist threatened with redundancy by the local NHS Trust.

Zena’s employment at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (SASH) is due to terminate at the end of the year, following the Trust’s unilateral decision to withdraw the elected role of Trade Union Facilitator (TUF). Zena has been re-elected to the post annually since ACAS supported its creation in 2005.

At a very lively meeting, Zena explained that the post-holder is elected by and from the Trade Union Stewards Committee (TUSC), to put forward the views of their members, i. e. the staff, to Trust management. The TUF also provides general advice to all staff whether or not they are in a Union. SASH intends to replace this role with one of an appointed Trade Union Convenor; Trust management would sit on the appointments panel.

Zena expressed her gratitude to the Trades Council and everyone who had braved the elements to attend the meeting. She detailed the support she had received via messages and emails from supporters all round the UK, many of whom had written to the CEO.

Attendees of the meeting considered the reasons for the Trust’s actions to be a personal attack on Zena, due to her effectiveness as a Trade Union rep. By her consistent opposition to privatisation, the abolition of the Shuttle-Bus, (which served staff and patients travelling between East Surrey and Crawley Hospitals, ) plans to introduce car-parking charges for staff, etc + her commitment to trying to improve the lot of staff, the Trust Execs obviously regard her as a thorn in their side.

It was remarked that the loss of the TUF would inevitably have a negative impact on staff, as it would take away their ’voice’, and could therefore also impact negatively on patient care.

Concerns were also raised that this move may impair the Trust’s bid for Foundation Trust (FT) status next year. To attain FT status, SASH would have to show that it robustly engages with staff and the local community. The meeting expressed incredulity at this, and observed that the lack of consultation by the Trust with the local community was legendary!

This view was borne out by the Director of Nursing, Mary Sexton, at a recent Trust Board meeting when she said she could not recommend that the Trust declares that it complies with the Standards for Better Health in this regard. Despite opposing the concept of Foundation hospitals, Zena pointed out that failure may result in SASH being subsumed into another FT, which could be many miles away, as Dr John Lister’s letter warned.

One speaker put the Trust’s actions in the context of a wider assault on public services- emphasizing the ease with which job-losses, privatisation and cuts in services could be pushed through without opposition “on the ground”. Another stated that the Trust was “obviously not interested” in reason or logic, and that appealing to their better nature was unlikely to be beneficial.

When asked about the Unions’ positions on a ballot for industrial action, Zena said that this would be decided at a meeting following the appeal hearing against her dismissal. E-mails and letters of protest had already been sent to Trust Chief Executive, Gail Wannell, and have received a response falsely claiming that Zena’s Union UNISON suggested management involvement in the appointment process for the proposed new role.

The meeting called for a protest outside the appeal hearing, and urge members of the community, any Trust staff who are not on duty and any other supporters of democracy and workers’ rights to join them.

Please assemble outside Maple House, by the West Entrance to East Surrey Hospital, at 2pm on Tuesday 8th December 2009. Help with transport can be provided.

Please call Derek Isaacs, Secretary of the North Sussex and East Surrey Trades Council on 07923 526745 or Phil Rossiter, Secretary of the S. O. S. Campaign on 07525 868163 for more information.