if our cities function it's because of a
class of workers that are almost hidden
cleaners carers security guards all
making their way to workplaces in the
early hours they are the lowest paid in
society yet among the most crucial the
NHS wouldn't survive without them and as
the country grapples with coronavirus
more than ever we need to ask what
happens when these workers get in one
time a patient asked me why did I come
to work sick I had to explain
unfortunately we're not paid if we stay
at home and I can't afford that being on
minimum wage in an exclusive for Channel
four News the GMB Union surveyed
cleaners Porter's and security guards
employed by contractors for the NHS
seventy eight percent said they're
entitled to no pay at all for the first
three days they're off sick and after
that they only get the statutory payment
of ninety four pounds a week as a result
seventy seven percent said they come
into work unwell to avoid losing pay
Annetta was one of those until recently
she worked at an NHS hospital where her
duties included serving meals and caring
for patients now she wants to raise the
alarm
believing patients are being put at risk
we're protecting her identity
so her words are spoken by an actor I
was working in the maternity wards the
ladies there were giving birth and
they're more vulnerable than any of us
they were asking me why are you coming
into work if you're feeling sick so I
had to prepare myself not to sneeze or
cough
I was hiding my sickness I was really
struggling most of my colleagues were
coming in sick as well tens of thousands
of people working in hospitals are
employed by private contractors up to
40% of NHS trusts in England use them
we contacted eight major contractors
working in the NHS 50% of them told us
they only pay out the legal minimum of
sick pay to some of their workers I was
talking to our managers I was telling
them I'm sneezing I'm coughing and
basically they were telling us they
can't do anything about it because of
the terms and
conditions if you sign it you have to
work because you signed a contract and
the contract says you don't have sick
pay
[Music]
the idea of workers coming into
hospitals sick may seem especially
alarming while the country's worried
about coronavirus but for some it's long
been a struggle Channel 4 News has
learned of at least six cases and London
hospitals where a contract worker with
cancer was told they're not entitled to
sick pay and the problem goes beyond
hospitals to security guards at st.
George's University in South London have
been repeatedly taking strike action
they're just some of the employees on
low wages in various industries fighting
for full sick pay and their supporters
on the picket line include the rapper
drill minister the university directed
us to the contractor who employs the
security guards here
bid vests Noonan who told us we are an
award-winning service provider with a
long track record in looking after our
people and our statutory compliant the
union representing the security guards
argue it's one example of many where a
company is making financial savings at a
human cost we have case after case after
case of be a cleaner security guards
caterers waiters porters and hospitals
that are transporting patients from
surgeries to a covering rooms and they
are going in to work with flu with germs
or in more severe cases with actual
broken bones sometimes we've seen
workers going to work with broken bones
some of the employers would argue that
if they paid out sick pain the way that
you're advocating they'd go bust every
worker should be able to afford to get
ill and millions of workers in the UK
today simply can't afford to get ill and
it's not fair that workers should be
having their wages cut from day one of
illness when companies couldn't afford
to pay it
cleaners at the building where channel 4
news is made are also seeking sick pay
we've contacted the contractor who
employs them for a response and have yet
to hear back the government says sick
pay remains at the discretion of
employers and anyone not eligible can
claim universal credit if forced to stay
at home by coronavirus but the epidemic
exposes how so many low paid workers
especially in the NHS feel they can't
afford not to go into work and that
could make containing the spread of the
virus more difficult
[Music]