Wirral health workers can put bosses in a whirl

September 19, 2023 –
From Socialist Worker (UK)

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Clinical support workers on strike on the Wirral, Merseyside, last week

Hundreds of low paid health workers on the Wirral, Merseyside, have thrown down the gauntlet to bosses that want to rob them of thousands of pounds.

The Clinical Support Workers (CSW) struck for three days last week, and for two days at the beginning of the month. They are set to strike again next Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The Unison union members are furious after bosses at Wirral University Teaching Hospital agreed they had wrongly graded the workers but refused a proper back pay settlement.

The CSWs were wrongly placed in band 2 when they should have been in band 3. That means each of them lost around £2,000 a year.

But bosses say they will only backdate their rightful pay to December last year.

Other trusts have agreed to backdate to April 2018, and Wirral workers are demanding the same.

Unison’s latest strike announcement shows that the Wirral CSWs are serious about winning back thousands of pounds they are owed and are prepared to dig in.

Trade unionists across the north west of England should rally to their cause.

Barnet workers strike over staffing

Unison union members at Barnet council are set to strike. The mental health social workers in north London voted 100 percent for action with strikes set to begin on Tuesday of this week, continuing to 3, 4, 10, 11 and 12 October.

The strike is over chronic staffing issues across frontline mental health teams.

Helen Davies, Barnet Unison branch chair, said, “Our members are showing the same commitment to the profession they love as junior doctors to theirs by striking.

“Drastic action is needed to keep mental health services safe and viable for them and service users. The service needs staff with experience.

“Currently, no one is sticking around because the levels of stress and pay are simply not worth it. Our members are absolutely doing the right thing.”