More than 200 employees from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich will go on strike Wednesday following a dispute over pay.

Staff employed by contractor ISS hope the 24-hour strike will end the hospital’s “two-tier workforce” by enforcing the same pay rates as directly employed staff.

NHS employee union GMB has given notice to the contractor for action to be taken on behalf of the hospital’s porters, security, ward hostesses, cleaners and caterers.

ISS workers are currently paid between £7.10 and £7.32 per hour compared with the lowest hourly rate for directly employed hospital staff set at £7.33.

The union is also demanding a change to the current unsociable hourly rate requesting their current time-and-a-quarter match non-ISS staff’s time-and-a-half pay.

GMB regional officer Nadine Houghton said: "GMB members want an end to the two- tier workforce within the hospital. They want the same pay rates, weekend enhancements and unsocial hour rates as the staff directly employed by the Trust.

“GMB does not accept that outsourcing means that public sector employers can simply outsource the responsibility for the staff and duck their responsibilities by arguing that they are employed by someone else. For too long these staff at Queen Elizabeth Hospital have felt undervalued, bullied and exploited. This will not be accepted.

“She added: GMB members do not take strike action lightly, especially not in a hospital, but members have been left with no choice but go ahead with this official strike action.”

Ms Houghton also said the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust have made no attempts to meet the union and settle the dispute.

A Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust spokesperson said: “ISS has assured us that the organisation is in discussion with the GMB on this matter and anticipates a positive outcome. Contingency plans are in place to ensure that services within the hospital will not be affected.”