North West hospital strikes end as UNISON reaches settlement

UNISON and private company Compass, which employs hundreds of staff at Blackpool Victoria, Whiston and St Helens hospitals, have reached an agreement to end the long-running dispute over wages and sick pay.
Before the settlement, Compass employees were on the national minimum wage (£8.21 per hour), while colleagues employed directly by the NHS were earning at least £9.03. This meant Compass staff were losing out to the tune