Children’s workers involved in further strike action in Tower Hamlets
Joe Lepper
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Children’s services professionals are among local authority staff taking part in a fresh wave of strikes this week amid a contract dispute with Tower Hamlets Council.
The union Unison has raised concerns over the new contracts, which see staff sacked and then re-employed on what the union says are inferior deals with worse terms and conditions.
This means they will miss out on allowances, including for essential travel, says the union.
However, the council says the new contracts will benefit those in hard to fill posts, such as social workers.
The strike action launched yesterday (Wednesday, 15 July) and continues until Friday 17 July. This follows a three-day strike earlier in the month.
Among those involved in the strike are children’s social workers and young people’s mental health practitioners.
“It involves social workers from across children's services such as: family support, child protection, family centre, and first level children's social work managers,” said a Unison spokeswoman.
“Also involved are children's centre practitioners, youth justice workers, parent and family support service workers, early help workers, children mental health practitioners and social workers in CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health services).”
Due to the coronavirus outbreak Unison has organised online ‘virtual strike rallies’ and socially distanced pickets and protests this week.
Solidarity with my old union branch, where I had the honour of serving as asst Secretary ✊️💕 #labour #unison pic.twitter.com/GvoE2tAI9F
— Eddy39 (@eddygraham39) July 16, 2020
The staffing plans have seen two-thirds of Tower Hamlets Council’s workforce sacked and rehired, says Unison. Staff on the lowest salaries, including care workers, will be hardest hit, it adds
“It beggars belief that a council would treat key workers in such an appalling way. But there’s still time for councillors to do the right thing and change direction,” said Unision assistant branch secretary Kerie Anne.
“This way workers can be rewarded properly and not punished for the work they do.”
Labour-controlled Tower Hamlets Council says that only 15 per cent of the workforce and services were affected by the earlier three-day strike.
In a statement, the council said it “is frustrated that Unison has been consistently reluctant to meaningfully engage, unwilling to compromise and have not offered viable alternatives to the proposed revised terms and conditions” since consultation over the plans began in January 2019.
Tower Hamlets says most staff under the new contracts will see an increase in annual leave and salaries in hard to fill posts such as in social work will rise.
The council’s chief executive Will Tuckley said that 450 staff will see pay increases and 1,000 more will benefit in future years.
“The changes will also mean greater flexibility for our workforce and additional support for special leave, and a better service for our residents,” he said.
“With changes to digital technology, working patterns and devices, the way people access services and live their lives has changed at a rapid rate over the past decade. Every organisation needs to change to meet the needs of their customers and their workforce.
“On top of that, our budgets have been significantly impacted by the pandemic so it is important we make the most of the money we have. That includes investing in our existing staff rather than those who leave and raising salaries for hard to fill roles such as social workers.”
