HOSPITAL workers are on strike today, Friday, two weeks after taking industrial action over the dispute about a private NHS company.

Unison members employed at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Foundation Trust (WWL) are on the picket lines at Leigh Infirmary and the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan to make their feelings known about WWL Solutions Limited.

Staff who work in roles such as catering, cleaning and portering will be at the sites of the borough’s NHS hospital sites including Leigh Infirmary.

Leigh MP Jo Platt has been in attendance at the strike.

She said: "We must stop the back door privatisation of our health service and end the cuts to funding and staff contracts."

There are concerns that if workers are outsourced to WWL Solutions Limited then their jobs, pay and conditions will be at risk.

Unison say “unfounded accusations and insults” were made about vandalism during the last strike action on May 23 and 24.

WWL said WWL Solutions was set up as an alternative to cutting jobs and services and reducing the overall cost to the trust as well as avoiding privatisation of NHS services.