Southampton Council care staff settle pay dispute

Southampton Council care workers have settled their longstanding dispute with the authority over cuts to unsocial hour enhancements.

Unison and TGWU members, who have held two strikes over the issue, have voted to accept a settlement under which their salaries will be protected from the cuts in 2007-8 and the reductions will then be phased in over the following two years.

Hourly pay rates will also increase to compensate staff for the loss of enhancements, while four care workers who left their jobs in February after refusing to accept the cuts will be re-instated with no break in service.

Unison staff voted 81 to 16 to accept the deal while 37 TGWU workers backed the deal with only one dissenting.

Unison branch secretary Mike Tucker said: “Most care workers will now not see a drop in their take home pay during the next three years after annual increments and cost of living increases are taken account of. Care workers have proved that low-paid part-time workers can fight back and defend their pay and conditions.”

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  Mithran Samuel