Social workers take industrial action

Approved social workers in Derbyshire are due to take industrial
action in a dispute over pay and grading.

They voted unanimously in favour of a work to rule from this week
after rejecting a council offer.

The ASWs claim Derbyshire Council has refused to match pay and
conditions of their counterparts in neighbouring authorities.

The council has tabled a new offer but public sector union Unison
said soundings among staff pointed to a further rejection.

The union said the service was chronically understaffed. It claimed
that in one Derbyshire town, the sole ASW had to be on emergency
duty five days a week rather than the permitted maximum of two, and
that in another area there was often no ASW cover at all.