Wiltshire Social Workers Vote For Strike Actions To Oppose 'Fire and Rehire' Pay Cut
Social workers to join dispute during which traffic wardens have already taken 11 days of action
Wiltshire Council social workers at have voted to take strike action in a long-running dispute over proposed pay cuts for various front-line roles.
The dispute centres around council plans to ‘fire and rehire’ certain roles, including care staff, social workers, traffic wardens, leisure centre workers, and highways, to remove a contractual unsocial hours pay uplift.
The social workers who are members of GMB union are now joining the dispute, which has already seen traffic wardens across the county take 11 days of strike action.
There are 25 social workers who face losing a 20 per cent uplift to their pay through this plan, of which 22 have now voted to strike.
Andy Newman, GMB Branch Secretary said:
“These highly skilled social workers face losing around £500 per month each, and some up to almost £750 per month. Currently that unsocial hours pay is in their contract, and they can take that to the bank.
“Wiltshire Council is proposing a pay cut, with a sugar coating of a 4-year delay in implementation and ‘jam tomorrow’ promises about ‘market supplements’ that could be whipped away as easily as they are given.
“The council is threatening the unethical use of ‘fire and rehire’ to rip up their contracts. These are the bully-boy tactics of a desperate and naïve employer.
“GMB has been fighting this for two years, and traffic wardens have already taken 11 days of strike action. Wiltshire Council can be assured GMB members won't back down to bullying.”
