The General Workers’ Union (GWU) has resorted to industrial action again at St Luke’s Hospital since no agreement regarding hospital cleaners has yet been reached, the union said in a statement yesterday.

The GWU said it had previously suspended industrial action during the past months, hoping that a solution would have been found after the government drafted in employees of a private contractor to carry out cleaning work at hospital.

The union, through its government and public entities section, acted cautiously during negotiations, the GWU said. While workers’ rights were to be protected, the union said that in the best interest of patients, it had not wanted to interrupt the cleaning service provided at hospital.

Nonetheless, the health authorities responsible for the hospital’s support services were obstinate in their decision, said the GWU, leaving the union with no option but to order industrial action.

The GWU has therefore instructed hospital cleaners, who are union members, to work only in the ward they are assigned.

They were also ordered not to carry out any work if contractual workers are sent to the ward where they are meant to work, to only clean toilets and kitchens and not to call to verify their leave after it has been approved.