SENIOR hospital managers have “given themselves a discount” while workers feel the brunt of new parking charges, union leaders claim.

Unison claims staff on the “lowest wages” will feel the impact the most as new parking permits are rolled out across hospital sites.

Staff at Basildon, Southend and Broomfield hospitals will be charged a percentage of their annual salary for a parking permit under the scheme as Unison calls for “those on the lowest wages to be charged cheaper rates”.

According to the union, senior managers will pay just 0.27 per cent of their annual salary, while lower-earning staff will pay 0.5 per cent of their salary.

Trust bosses defended the move insisting the “vast majority” of staff will pay less for parking than before the pandemic when free parking was introduced and staff will be charged “0.25 per cent of their basic salary” for a permit.

Unison Basildon, Southend and Mid Essex health secretary Joyce Aldridge said: “Staff were already annoyed by the decision of trust bosses to bring in a new ‘tax’ on coming to work. But it’s doubly insulting to see those same senior managers deciding to set their charges at a lower rate, effectively giving themselves a discount on parking at hospital sites. It’s not too late for the trust to do the right thing by its staff and reverse these charges.”

The trust announced in July it needed to stop free car parking as it faced “significant financial losses”.

Unison eastern regional organiser Sam Older said: “The trust should be doing all it can to show it values essential staff, not leaving them out of pocket when they go in to work to care for the community. If staff are forced to pay, it should be done fairly with those on the lowest wages charged cheaper rates.”

A trust spokesman said: “Staff will be charged 0.25 per cent of their basic salary initially, not 0.5 per cent. When ANPR is introduced, this will mean staff only pay for the days they use the car parks, this could be less than the maximum which will be 0.5 per cent of income.

“Staff car parking charges and permits were suspended during the pandemic, and funding was given to cover the lost income to NHS organisations. That stopped at the end of March 2022 meaning the trust has lost funding towards patient care unless we re-introduce staff parking charges.”