Let Hospital Staff Celebrate Queen's Jubilee

An NHS Trust has become the latest employer to tell staff they will not be entitled to an extra day off to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee even though it is a Bank Holiday, a leading union said today.

The GMB called on the Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust to change its decision, and allow up to 2,000 staff the extra holiday on June 5.

The late May Bank Holiday has been switched to the first week in June, and an extra day added, giving workers the chance of a four day break.

The GMB said it had been told that a lack of funds was being blamed on the decision, which followed a similar move by retail firm Edinburgh Woollen Mill.

GMB official Nichola Nixon said: 

''This is unfair to these NHS staff. The proposal has never been put to GMB members in the Trust.

''Not giving the additional day to staff on grounds of costs is a mean act towards these hard working and loyal NHS staff particularly as everybody else will be enjoying an additional holiday that day.

''The least they can do is to give their staff an additional day of holiday and for those who work on that day they should get premium rates of pay plus an additional day of holiday in lieu.''