Unison’s strike warning for services

A national one-day strike over pay by council workers is likely
to affect the provision of social care services, according to
Unison.

The union’s national officer for social services Owen Davies,
said that the action planned for 17 July will lead to “substantial
disruption” of services, but stressed that branches are being urged
to talk to employers about implementing emergency cover
locally.

He added that the intention was not to endanger clients but to
“bring home to employers the intolerable pay situation”.

Local government workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
voted to take strike action in support of a 6 per cent or
£1,750 increase. This rise would bring the minimum wage in
local government to £11,017 a year.

The strike by members of Unison, TGWU, and GMB, will be the
first national strike since 1989 and will affect social services,
residential care, home care and education.

Last week the London Assembly recommended that public sector
workers in London should be paid London weighting of up to a third
more than workers who lived outside the capital.