City carers set to strike over ‘impossible’ shifts
HUNDREDS of Birmingham home care workers have voted to strike over job cuts and “impossible” shifts.
The carers, who visit vulnerable disabled and elderly residents in their homes, are furious at plans for 150 redundancies as part of £4 million cuts to the council-run social care service.
More than 300 carers were balloted and, according to the union, 99 per cent of those who voted supported strike action. Walkouts can take place from January 19.
Caroline Johnson, branch secretary of Unison Birmingham, said: “We have been in talks with the council for over six months but they are just not listening to us. They want to cut the workforce by 40 per cent and make the remaining home carers work an impossible shift system.
“This would force many carers to work three split shifts in a working day.”
She said plans included a daily split shift pattern for some workers of 7am-10am, 12 noon-2pm and then 4pm-10pm. With too little time to return home between shifts, it is claimed they could be out for 15 hours a day.
Ms Johnson said: “Our carers are dedicated to their jobs and the vulnerable clients they work with. They work on 365 days a year, in all weathers and from early morning to late at night. It is this dedication that a cynical management seeks to exploit.”
In recent years they have given up additional weekend working pay and many experienced staff have already volunteered union said.
Unison said providing wellresourced care for frail people at home keeps them out of the expensive residential or hospital care. Therefore the cuts could prove more expensive in the long-run.
One care worker, who did not wish to be named, said that due to the public sector pay cap and the loss of weekend overtime she has had to take a second job just to pay the mortgage.
“The changes mean I will have to give up one of the jobs and face the stress of facing losing my home.
“We haven’t had a proper pay rise since 2010. I can’t afford to strike, but I can’t afford not to.
“It’s not just about me, but the service we provide is being destroyed. We all grow old and want a good for redundancy, the Homecare service to be there need it.”
Graeme Betts, council corporate director for adult care responded: “We have consulted thoroughly with staff and as such we have made a number of changes to our original proposals and have made staff aware of support that is available to them.”We appreciate this time of year is not a good time for anyone to be going through significant change but we are faced with no alternative.”
A council spokeswoman said that staff opted to work split daily shifts to cram their work into fewer days.
Speaking in September as details of the dispute first emerged, the Labour cabinet member for health Paulette Hamilton said the council was working more closely with NHS and other agencies to provide ‘a joined up social care service’. if we