Today's Birmingham protest was quite a good success with a max of maybe 50 staff out at same time. It helped raise our profile with passing traffic who gave us good support, + upset the Chief exec. Big thanks to members of the public + other campaigning groups who came along to back us up! Saga FM, Kerrang radio, BBC WM, Heart FM, Socialist worker + BBC local TV all came along to record it + interviewed lots of staff. This was sadly heavily undermined by a management PR goon who appeared near the end to tell the media that the service to hosps would not be affected by the new plans. Confusingly they keep using the line that 'the blood centre is not closing' - OK, there will technically be one lab left! But all the others will most definitely be gone! We need to counteract this soundbite in the papers or people will not support our cause.
Other centres around the rest of the country also reported successful demos with a lot of media attention.
So what next?
We will taking a big contingent to the TUC's NHS Together day of action rally on March 3rd in Victoria Sq Birmingham, + making links with the City/Sandwell hosp staff + other NHS workers in dispute. Meanwhile internal consultation is ongoing. As for industrial action, nothing has been ruled out yet.