A THREE-DAY strike against one of the worst NHS workforce culls ended today with GMB warning of potential legal action against outsourcers OCS.

More than 150 workers picketed outside South London and Maudsley Trust (SLaM) over the company’s plans to cut the cleaning and catering provision at the trust by a fifth.

GMB senior organiser Helen O’Connor told the Morning Star: “It’s the most savage I’ve ever seen.

“We are talking about a 20 per cent of catering and cleaning provision across a huge trust serving four hospitals covering almost the whole of south London.”

The cuts would mean dirtier wards, increasing patients’ risk of cross-infection, and no fresh food provision, she said.

The second day of walkouts saw picketers report patients had received no food deliveries in one of the trust’s hospital wards.

She alleged OCS had carried out the “most intense anti-union victimisation we have seen,” alleging that a redundancy process had “targeted” workers before they were entitled to full legal protections on entering their second year of employment.

The union organiser urged workers to take part in GMB’s upcoming legal proceedings against unfair dismissal, saying that they have undergone “summary dismissal” instead of a “fair” redundancy process. 

“Their strike has shut down key parts of the service and they will escalate their action further if OCS doesn’t reinstate our members who have been unfairly dismissed by the savage cuts implemented across the contract,” she said.

“If OCS cannot afford to provide services needed for patients, the contract must be taken back in-house.” 

OCS and SLaM were contacted for comment.