'From the frontline to the breadline' - Protestors at Walsall Manor Hospital say re-introduction of parking charges will 'hit them hard'
Staff from Walsall Manor Hospital took to the streets to protest against parking charges for staff which are due to be re-introduced on Saturday.
From November 1 staff at the Manor, and New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton will have to pay £30 a month if they work more than 22.6 hours and £18 of the work less than 22.6 hours. The charges, affecting 14,000 staff on the two sites will not even guarantee them their own parking space protestors said.
It is the first time since 2016 that staff will have had to pay for parking at the two sites - charges were previously £20 and £15 per month but were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic - government funding to keep parking free ended in 2022.
The protest saw around 40 staff and supporters chant and attempt to add names to a petition of 30 pages which they intend to present to bosses of The Royal Wolverhampton and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust which runs both sites.
Pat Usher, staff site lead for Walsall Healthcare and a Unison representative, said people had been coming into the office saying they would be unable to pay the charges.
