Staff to take action at Liverpool Council

Children’s services at Liverpool Council look set to be disrupted
after social workers voted overwhelmingly for industrial action
because of concerns over workloads.

Of the 145 Unison social workers balloted, 94.5 per cent voted in
favour of starting industrial action from next week.

This will include working to rule, not covering for staff vacancies
or sickness, refusing to carry out administration duties, and
refusing to use personal cars to visit clients.

If this fails to bring management to the negotiating table, 90 per
cent of those balloted are in support of plans for three days of
strike action in February and March.

Unison social services convener Christina Doyle said social workers
didn’t want to strike but “hoped it would send a message to
management to come to the table”.

The move follows accusations by the union that the council was
risking the confidentiality of client information because of new
working practices (news, page 8, 29 January).