MORE than 200 hospital cleaners and domestics in the region have won improved pay and conditions after a sustained union campaign.

The staff, who are predominantly female, have been in dispute with the private cleaning company Initial for more than a year.

Union officials said the deal was a breakthrough, which could lead to similar agreements at other North-East hospitals where NHS and non-NHS staff who work alongside each other are often on different rates of pay.

Cleaners and domestic staff working at the City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust were unhappy that they were on lower rates of pay and had inferior holiday allowances to colleagues employed by the NHS.

Now, following a campaign organised by the health trade union Unison - which included picketing the trust board and threatening industrial action - Initial agreed to increase pay and holiday entitlement to a total of 240 staff who work at the Wearside trust.

Paul Summers, Unison regional officer, said: "I am delighted that we have reached this agreement with Initial and the CHS trust.

"Our members in Initial, predominantly female and some of the lowest paid workers within the NHS, fully deserve the improved terms and conditions and we hope that this agreement is implemented across the region by other private contractors in the NHS."

Workers at the Wearside trust will receive an increase in their basic pay backdated to October last year.

They will also receive additional annual leave and full sick pay entitlements under the national Agenda for Change agreement between the health trade unions and the NHS.

"Staff employed by private contractors in the NHS should receive the same pay and conditions as directly employed NHS staff," said Mr Summers.

Some staff who had worked for ten years at the trust saw their holiday entitlement go up from 20 days to 33 days.

Many staff who were originally on £5.36-an-hour will go up to £6.03-per-hour.

Mike Jepson, managing director of Initial Hospital Services, said: "We're pleased to confirm agreement with the trust and we remain 100 per cent focused on working with our colleagues to enhance the service we provide.

"Hospital cleaning is essential and we continue to look at ways to enhance the service we provide using the very latest cleaning technologies."