HISTORIC FIRST EVER STRIKE DAY FOR ADULTS SOCIAL WORKERS

There was a fantastic turn out at our first ever strike action by Adult's Social Workers in the city, standing up for fair pay and quality services.

Our social workers deserve pay parity with their friends and colleagues in Families, Children & Learning. You can show your support by emailing your local councillor to say ALL the city's social workers should be paid the same.

Adults' social workers carry out essential and life saving work, running services for older people, people with disabilities, mental health issues and homelessness - but pay levels are leaving many in financial hardship.

Social workers are helping to hold the crumbling fabric of our public services together and they deserve better. As Joint Branch Secretary says:

“Brighton & Hove UNISON is so proud of our 100+ Adult Social Worker members today as they took their first historic strike action on fair pay.  Dozens were at the picket this morning and the support from the public who stopped to talk to us was clear.  Our social worker members are standing up for their own jobs, but also for the services they run, and the many people they support in Brighton and Hove.  Our social workers support the most vulnerable adults in the city including older people, people with disabilities, mental health issues and the homeless. They deserve parity of pay with their social work friends and colleagues in Families, Children and Learning, and the residents of the city deserve services that are fit for purpose and well resourced.”

“While we understand the precarious financial situation of the council, that is not the fault of social workers, but the fault of over a decade of deliberate and cynical underfunding of our local services by central government.  Brighton and Hove City Council needs to ask itself not, what price fair pay for adults’ social workers, but rather, what cost not paying social workers fairly and enough to live with dignity.  UNISON is clear, that cost is one that is too high to pay, both for valued social workers, but also for the residents of the city they work for and protect.”

We will not continue to be complicit in managed decline, we STAND UP for decent pay and excellent services. Local government funding MUST be restored.

Solidarity too with our friends at Barnet Unison branch who had their mental health social workers striking on the same day.

Picture credits: James Pike Photography