Union Renews Calls For NHS Workers Treating Ebola Virus To Receive Bonus

Unite the union has renewed calls for the 200 NHS workers and academics, who risked their lives in combating the deadly Ebola virus disease in West Africa, to receive the more than £4,000 bonus that was paid to colleagues working for Public Health England (PHE).

100,000 union members in the health service have been campaigning since the end of last year, but said that it will renew its efforts to rectify this "huge inequality", after David Cameron said he would look specifically at the bonus issue when it was raised at Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs).

Unite national officer for health, Sarah Carpenter, said: "We have been met with a brick wall, having written twice to international development (DFID) secretary, Justine Greening and received no response about addressing this huge inequality.

"The Prime Minister's answer at PMQs in relation to Pauline Cafferkey, the nurse who nearly lost her life while treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, but has yet to receive the £4,000 bonus, could break this logjam.

"Unite will be renewing its efforts to get justice for those that risked their lives in fighting the Ebola virus and we will be raising this with Kate Osamor, the shadow international development secretary.

"This is a matter that has taken far too long to resolve and it is about the unequal treatment for volunteers, who risked their health and their lives to go to West Africa and to help those suffering desperately at a time of great need."

(CD)