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| Are you ready to strike in pursuit of the unions’ five per cent pay claim? | Community Care | 12 Mar 07 |
| Re: Are you ready to strike in pursuit of the unions’ five per cent pay claim? | Shirley Hanson | 12 Mar 07 |
| Re: Are you ready to strike in pursuit of the unions’ five per cent pay claim? | Tony | 12 Mar 07 |
| Re: Are you ready to strike in pursuit of the unions’ five per cent pay claim? | Mike Broad | 12 Mar 07 |
| Re: Are you ready to strike in pursuit of the unions’ five per cent pay claim? | Stephen Wroe | 14 May 07 |
| Subject | Are you ready to strike in pursuit of the unions’ five per cent pay claim? | ||||
| Author | Community Care | ||||
| Date | 12/03/2007 11:33 | ||||
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Unison, TGWU and GMB say their members are angry after the local government pensions dispute and a series of below-inflation rises in recent years Comment first posted: 20 Feb |
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| Subject | Re: Are you ready to strike in pursuit of the unions’ five per cent pay claim? | ||||
| Author | Shirley Hanson | ||||
| Date | 12/03/2007 11:34 | ||||
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Yes. For a long time the pay for social care staff has been lower than similar professionals. It is time for the government to sit up and take notice of our situation. Comment first posted: 20 Feb |
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| Subject | Re: Are you ready to strike in pursuit of the unions’ five per cent pay claim? | ||||
| Author | Tony | ||||
| Date | 12/03/2007 11:35 | ||||
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Any pay offer below the current rate of inflation is a pay cut Comment first posted: 21 Feb |
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| Subject | Re: Are you ready to strike in pursuit of the unions’ five per cent pay claim? | ||||
| Author | Mike Broad | ||||
| Date | 12/03/2007 11:35 | ||||
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It's looking increasingly likely that social workers in the public sector are going to be offered an insulting pay rise. And, in the current environment, it's going to be tough to get it improved. In my experience, industrial action is really difficult to coordinate among public sector professionals. Most are so committed to their service users or patients that they wouldn't dream of taking any course of action that could damage - even fleetingly - the standard of the support they receive. I think a more realistic approach is for the profession to really get behind its representatives in raising the profile of social work - and better demonstrate its effectiveness. Once social work's importance is better appreciated by the public and politicians alike there will be more scope for pay negotiation. Unfortunately, this is a long-term game and isn't going to help pay the bills for several years to come. Are there any other ideas on what could be done in the short-term on pay? Comment first posted 27 Feb |
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| Subject | Re: Are you ready to strike in pursuit of the unions’ five per cent pay claim? | ||||
| Author | Stephen Wroe | ||||
| Date | 14/05/2007 09:36 | ||||
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The current 2% pay offer is derisory, with inflation running at 5% and rising, and average wage rises in the UK over the last year at 4.6%. 3 years ago the unions agreed a deal with the employers that tied us up to a pay rise of just over 2% per year. Since then as we all know the cost of living has risen enormously, with higher mortgages, spiralling gas, electric and petrol prices. To put the deal in context we have not had a decent pay rise for over 20 years of Tory and New Labour rule. When Blair was first elected, emissaries like Andy Burnham, now a minister of Health, spoke to UNISON saying that we should have patience with them as they would stick to tight Tory spending plans for their first 2 years and thereafter we would see pay rises to bring us back to where we had been prior to Thatcher/Major years - roughly pay about half that of an average GP or Solicitor. this now seems laughable Not only have New Labour broken their promises, they have also greatly increased our burdens and responsibilities, with performance indicators/targets/e-performance, etc. No one organization has stood up for social workers and defended our professional integrity and performance in the light of continuing stressful micro-management imposed by central government. Of what use to social workers has the mandatory General Council (to which we must all pay our annual subscriptions) been in this regard?- it appears like just another imposition and control measure. There has never been a more fitting time for the profession to make a strong stand around pay. To sit back and do nothing now will only result in even poorer morale, increasing recruitment and retention problems, and the end of social work as a profession in the near future. If we do not believe in our own worth, who will? |
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