Glasgow City Council care home workers in new pay strike

Council care workers in Glasgow are staging another 48-hour strike over changes to pay and working conditions.

The union Unison said the changes may leave some staff at the council’s care homes almost £1,500 a year worse off.

Glasgow City Council said staff would not have basic salary cut, but some may lose shift allowances. It said most staff had backed the changes.

The strike affects 600 people in 15 elderly care homes and one home caring for people with physical disabilities.

The action took place on Monday and will resume on Tuesday.

Brian Smith, Unison’s Glasgow branch secretary, said: “Unison members have been forced to take further strike action as the social work management has made no attempt to resolve the dispute.

“The fact is that care homes would not function without the hard work and dedication of our members and to force them into this difficult position is completely unfair and unnecessary.

“Our members are only asking for what is fair – no cuts in pay, properly identified roles and responsibilities of staff and agreement on any new shift arrangements.”

A council spokesman said the authority was “surprised and disappointed” at the action and claimed there was “little support” for the strike.

“During the last strike the overwhelming majority of staff attended their work, which ensured most homes operated entirely as normal,” he said.

“The new working pattern has also been agreed to by almost all care home staff.
‘Unacceptable behaviour’

He added: “The new working arrangements will provide staff with more time off, greater contact with residents and see 160 staff made up to permanent positions while protecting core pay.”

The spokesman also said the council would be sending a letter of complaint to Unison “following unacceptable behaviour by pickets around the homes of vulnerable older people”.

The council said that about 97% of care home staff – some 524 out of 539 – had signed up to the new arrangements.

It said that 99 care home staff had not reported for work during previous strike action last week.