Care workers strike as council's plans to cut hours 'brings them below poverty line'

More than 250 care workers are taking strike action in response to Birmingham City Council’s plans to dramatically cut their working hours, resulting in a significant loss of income.

Members of the council’s enablement service gathered in Victoria Square to protest against plans which could see their 37-hour week drop to just 14 – a move which they claim could bring them ‘below the poverty line’.

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis has joined striking care workers on the picket line. He said: “I’m proud to join our care workers in Birmingham. No-one goes on strike lightly, especially care workers who know the benefit they bring, every hour of every day, to those they care for.

“But the Council’s decision to slash care staff hours is cutting costs with little regard for the impact this will have on the many elderly and vulnerable adults across the city who rely upon them.

“It’s also a damning indictment of the government’s lack of funding for social care when hard-working care staff are being pushed out of a job, and the most vulnerable in our society are left struggling.”

Last year Birmingham City Council put forward a proposal to cut the enablement service by 40 per cent and to bring in a three shift in one-day rota.

'282 home care workers are heartbroken'

Caroline Johnson, branch secretary of UNISON Birmingham, said: “We have been in talks with the council for over six months but they are just not listening to us. They want to cut the workforce by 40 per cent and make the remaining home carers work an impossible shift system.”

She explained that plans included a daily split shift pattern for some workers of 7am to 10am, 12 noon to 2pm and 4pm to 10pm.

“With too little time to return home between shifts, it is claimed they could be out from home for 15 hours a day,” she added. “This would force many carers to work three split shifts in a working day…the 282 home care workers are heartbroken by this proposal.”

The city council hopes to save around £2m from the changes.

Cabinet member for health and social care, Councillor Paulette Hamilton, says the council is working more closely with the NHS and other agencies to provide ‘a joined up social care service’.

The redesign of the enablement service will mean staff will spend more time with service users - who will have much better outcomes, and consistent staff will cover across the working week - responding properly to user needs.

Modernising a service

She said: “The best performing services have 80 per cent of adults leaving the service better enabled, with staff spending 95 per cent of their time with service users. We know the staff who work for us are incredibly dedicated and work really hard to support the city’s residents, but unfortunately the system they work in is very inefficient.

“This means that we have to make changes in order to get the best outcomes for our vulnerable residents, ensuring we have the right people in the right place at the right time, so our residents get the support they need when they need it.

“We understand these changes will be difficult for some staff who have worked for the council for many years, and we are genuinely doing all we can to minimise the impact on staff and finding individual solutions where we can for those staff affected by the change.”

According to the council, many staff will not only see little change but could also see their pay increase as they will be undertaking more skilled and complex tasks.

“This is all part of modernising a service that is absolutely critical to the way we as a council, and as a society, look after our older people,” she added. “We need a professionally-led service, with highly trained staff, enabling people to remain in the community with all the advantages that brings.”

Members of the council’s enablement service have 13 further strikes planned throughout August to 1 September.