Union officials say they have been thrown out of Huddersfield Royal Infirmary twice as they attempted to meet with members.

On Friday four officers with UNISON , the public service union, were asked to leave the hospital during a meeting with staff who have been balloted on strike action that could hit services at both HRI and Calderdale Royal Hospital .

They were escorted from the premises.

And on Monday three officials were asked to leave despite having organised meetings with members.

UNISON members have been balloted over proposals to transfer staff currently employed by the trust into a wholly owned subsidiary company. They include porters, house keepers and domestic and procurement staff .

Hundreds of staff employed by Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust are involved in the ballot.

UNISON regional organiser Natalie Ratcliffe said officials were “a little put out” that they had been effectively barred from the hospital.

And she denied that the meetings had been disruptive to staff timetables or shifts.

“We have a right to speak to our members about their concerns,” she said. “We have been attempting to speak to staff before their shifts start. This is so we do not disrupt them in their work.

Natalie Ratcliffe, of Unison and #HandsOffHRI

“We have never encountered this with the Trust before. They are normally very reasonable.”

The ballot opened on Friday, May 25, and will close on Thursday. It is thought that around 250 workers across several sites are involved, with industrial action anticipated to take place in the week of the 70th birthday of the National Health Service on July 5.

Mrs Ratcliffe said porters and domestic staff at Calderdale are already outsourced under a private finance initiative (PFI) to a company called ISS.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust did not respond to a request to comment.