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Wednesday, 29 August, 2001, 10:27 GMT 11:27 UK
Medical secretaries in five-day strike
Medical staff at work
Medical secretaries will stage another walkout
Medical secretaries at four Scottish hospitals have begun strike action which could disrupt services.

Around 300 Unison members at the North Glasgow Hospital Trust have begun five days of action on Wednesday in their bid to win a higher pay deal.

Theatre lists and test results for thousands of patients are expected to be delayed but both the union and hospital trust say the planned strike will have no impact on emergency services.

Medical secretaries carry out duties in all areas of the health service and see their role as being more than that of an ordinary secretary.

Helpline worker
The dispute centres around pay
They need to have a degree of medical knowledge in order to deal with doctors and patients' paperwork.

Medical secretaries are also responsible for transcribing important information about drugs and dosage.

But medical secretaries at North Glasgow Hospital Trust have been angered by the revelation that they are a grade below management secretaries and are losing out on as much as £2,000-a-year.

Weekend rally

Glasgow's Royal Infirmary, Western Infirmary, Stobhill Hospital and Gartnaval General will all be affected by the industrial action.

A three-day strike was held at the beginning of August after more than 91% of Unison members voted for action.

On Saturday, the secretaries will hold a rally and demonstration in Glasgow city centre to protest at the failure of hospital management to recognise their claim for higher pay.

Several other leading trade unionists and politicians are expected to lend their support at the rally.

See also:

08 Aug 01 | Scotland
Medical secretaries go on strike
02 Aug 01 | Scotland
Medical secretaries name strike date
05 May 01 | Scotland
Medical staff discuss grades offer
23 Apr 01 | Scotland
Support staff strike warning
19 Feb 01 | Scotland
Health service gets £18.5m boost
29 Apr 99 | Health
NHS staff back millennium strike
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