CHILDREN’S social workers have picketed the offices of Bath & North East Somerset Council in Keynsham during three days of strike action.
Team managers and deputy team managers in the council’s children’s services department are in dispute over changes to pay gradings which put them on the same grade as some of the staff they manage.
The 28 social workers held a picket line outside Keynsham Civic Centre throughout the three days of industrial action from Wednesday May 20 to Friday May 22.
One striking social worker said there had been an “amazing” response from the public.
On the second day of the strike, the managers arrived to the picket line at 7am to find that colleagues had written “managers, we support you” across the flagstones in a message of solidarity.
Announcing that the strike action would take place, Unison South West regional secretary Tim Roberts said: “This strike action shows the depth of feeling among staff over the council’s failure to resolve concerns about pay and grading.
“Children’s social care managers do highly skilled and demanding work supporting vulnerable children and families. They shouldn’t have to fight to be paid fairly.
“The council must now come back with a clear and credible offer that properly addresses staff concerns and helps prevent further disruption to services.”
The council’s executive director of people, Darryl Freeman, was questioned by councillors about the potential impact of the strike at a scrutiny panel on May 18.
While acknowledging that strike action would be disruptive, he said: “I think both our striking colleagues, who I have a lot of respect for, and those colleagues who will provide cover, will do their very best to ensure that children do not come to harm.”
He also hit back at claims the staff received “paltry pay.”
He said: “As they have chosen to raise the issue in this way, let me be clear what their pay is. A deputy team manager receives a salary in the band of £47,181 to £51,356 per annum, and a team manager receives a salary in the band of £52,413 to £57,864 per annum.”
The affected staff, who are represented by trade union Unison, previously went on strike for a “day of action” in March. When Unison balloted the affected staff in January and February, 100% backed strike action on a 94% turnout.
While the current action concerns 28 team managers and deputy team managers, a separate dispute about plans to restructure the teams in the department and make five people redundant could see 229 members of children’s services staff go on strike. A strike ballot concerning that dispute was recently approved by 90% on a turnout of 70%.
The ballot means that trade union Unison now has a mandate for the massive industrial action, although the union says it will decide whether to use it based on what the council does with its proposals.
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporting Service
Keynsham picket by striking social workers
