RCM members in Barnsley have secured an important win following a long-running dispute over proposed changes to break arrangements which would have increased the number of hours worked a month.
Following months of negotiations, Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has dropped plans for a one-hour unpaid break and removed the threat of dismissal and re-engagement – also known as fire and rehire.
A new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has also been put in place to support staff to take their breaks, with the Trust committing to monitoring how this works in practice.
The RCM has now negotiated a final proposal of a 45-minute unpaid break for all staff working in maternity services, which a majority of members have voted to accept.
It follows more than a year of discussions between the RCM and the Trust after proposals to change break arrangements were first announced in April 2025.
RCM members had raised concerns about the changes, particularly because many were already struggling to take their existing 30-minute unpaid break due to pressures in maternity services. It was also raised that if the one-hour breaks went ahead, members would be working an additional seven hours a month.
When the Trust later began a process which could have seen staff who had not agreed to the changes fired and rehired on new terms, the RCM pushed back.
More than 80 members supported a collective grievance and, in a consultation earlier this year, the majority of those who responded said they would be prepared to be balloted for industrial action.
The RCM continued negotiations with the trust, calling for the fire and rehire process to be stopped and for members’ concerns about being able to take their breaks to be addressed.
Lynne Galvin, RCM Regional Head for the North of England, said: “This is a significant result for our Barnsley members – where we are today is very different from where we were just a few months ago. It’s been a long road to get here but we knew how strongly members felt and that kept us going.
“The threat of fire and rehire has been completely withdrawn, the proposal for a one-hour unpaid break has been dropped and, importantly, we now have arrangements in place to make sure staff are supported to actually take their breaks.
“Getting to this point has taken a huge amount of work and persistence for our local RCM reps and our members have stood behind them throughout. This outcome shows exactly why having strong union representation in the workplace matters.”
Local RCM reps Lottie O’Neill, Louise Taylor-Pugh and Leanne Corbett have been at the heart of negotiations throughout the dispute.
Under the agreement, a consistent 45-minute unpaid break will apply across maternity services. The new arrangements will come into effect from the roster period beginning 16 November 2026.
The RCM will continue to work with the Trust as the new arrangements are introduced and to monitor how the breaks SOP is working for staff.
