DOZENS of hospital workers staged an angry demonstration in protest at a decision by bosses not to recognise their trade union.

GMB was de-recognised by managers at York Hospital last September following a vote by all the hospital's unions, including the Royal College of Nursing and Unison.

The decision was made amid concerns that the GMB was acting outside the agreed code of conduct for unions at York Hospital.

They held the action outside the TUC's annual general meeting at the Royal York Hotel - launched on Saturday by York MP Hugh Bailey.

GMB chiefs claimed the decision was related to their industrial action ballot in November, when 35 medical secretaries voted in favour of a strike in an on-going dispute over pay gradings.

But Edna Mulhearn, staff-side chair at the hospital, said: "GMB was derecognised back in September - the decision had nothing to do with the industrial action they took at the end of November.

"It was a very hard decision for us to make and it was due to local problems - we have no problem with GMB nationally."

Members of GMB descended on Royal York Hotel for their demonstration - in the hope of winning the support of other unions attending the AGM of Yorkshire's Trade Union Congress.

Neil Derrick, the senior GMB organiser for York, said the union had nearly 200 members within the hospital trust, which has more than 4,000 employees in total.

He said: "Our members are cleaners, porters, nurses, medical secretaries and other clerical staff.

"It is a disgrace that we have been de-recognised and I think it was done to gag our members and stop them from having a collective voice."

In a letter to all GMB members, Dawn Preece, the hospital's senior HR manager, explained the decision was made after careful consideration of the activities of the GMB and its effects on other staff representatives and partnership agreements.

Mike Proctor, deputy chief executive at the hospital, said they remained open to further discussions with their local staff side about the issue.

De-recognition means GMB bosses can no longer take part in collective bargaining, but members still have the right to be accompanied by a GMB representative at disciplinary or grievance hearings.