The GMB trade union delivered emergency food parcels to ISS employees at hospitals in Woolwich and Orpington on Friday (April 26).

The project saw GMB employees and workers represented by the union help distribute food packages to hospital staff employed by the private contractor ISS at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich and the Princess Royal Hospital in Orpington.

ISS employs workers at hospitals in South London and elsewhere, and recently announced it was restructuring its pay scheme for contract workers under the name "Project Greenfield".

GMB have said that the plans mean that ISS will hold back their contract workers' pay while the new payroll is introduced.

ISS meanwhile said that they offered loans to employees to cover the interim period, and insisted they would "not withhold any money that is payable to any employee."

Helen O’Connor, GMB Regional Organiser, said the holding back of workers' pay had forced the recent wave of protests by ISS employees.

Ms O'Connor said: "ISS management falsely believe that they can just ride out the rising tide of anger amongst their workforce but what they are doing is shoring up problems for themselves for the future.

"GMB Union is growing in strength in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Princess Royal Hospital and in Surrey and Borders NHS trust.

"Our members have reached the correct conclusion that GMB Union is the only protection they have against ISS.

"No hospital worker ever wants to go on strike because they care about the hospital and the patients just as much as the doctors and nurses do. The reality however is that in driving down the pay, terms and conditions of hospital workers ISS is driving experienced workers out of the health service."