NHS mobile test-and-trace units run by Mitie are cutting the guaranteed pay of workers by a third after winning a new contract from the government. The outsourcing firm, which employs about 1,000 people at mobile testing sites, has told workers that from 8 November they will be guaranteed pay for an eight-hour shift each day, rather than 12 hours, slashing secure pay to £80 a day from £120. Workers previously received the £120 no matter how many hours they worked, they will now receive extra pay only if they work more than eight hours. Workers said the pay change came amid a surge in demand for their services with some sites dealing with more than 600 people in a day. One worker said some supervisors were so busy they did not have time for the regulation half-hour break. Another said the mobile test-and-trace workers had suffered “a huge blow to morale” because of the pay changes that are hitting shortly before Christmas. “Personally, I feel betrayed and seen as disposable by Mitie. The changes mean that everyone will be losing hundreds of pounds in earnings each month, with those who live the closest to and furthest from our sites losing significantly more with the new mileage proposals. “The bumbling way Mitie have handed this and their poor communication to employees is just shocking,” the worker said. The latest cuts come after fellow mobile test-and-trace operator G4S cut the pay of some workers by up to 5% in the light of a new government contract that specifies they should receive the real living wage. Some G4S workers were told their hourly pay rate would drop from £10 to a maximum of £9.50 outside London, a cut of 5%. Those in London will drop from a maximum £11 an hour to £10.85, a 1.4% cut. Mitie said there were no standard shift timings for mobile-testing units and the hours could change depending on a range of factors including location and weather. It said workers would be paid for the time from when the mobile unit left its base location until it returned. They will also now receive payment towards travel expenses – of 45p per mile from the testing base – as well as expenses such as parking fees as set out by the government. It said that previously these costs were factored into the workers’ daily rate. A Mitie spokesperson, said: “We are introducing new procedures to ensure a consistent and fair approach to the payment terms for all colleagues working at mobile-testing units. “These changes better reflect the average shift length while still ensuring that colleagues are paid for any additional time they work, as well as for their business mileage and other associated driving expenses.” Mitie said it had been directed to pay travel expenses by the government. The UK Health Security Agency, which was set up this year to replace Public Health England in the handling of public health protection and dealing with infectious diseases, is understood to be reviewing its position on travel expenses and the terms of payments have yet to be agreed with all operators. G4S did not respond directly when asked if it was planning to pay travel expenses for its workers. A spokesperson said: “The terms and conditions of our team members will remain in accordance with government guidelines and our contractual requirements, as it has been at all times throughout the delivery of this important contract.”