Tom Baldwin, South West Socialist Party
60 striking Unison members and their supporters rallied outside the offices of mental health charity Second Step in Bristol last week. They’d struck for four days over the preceding two weeks, but management’s intransigence has forced them to step up the action. The rally marked the first of six consecutive days of action.
One of the reasons for the strike is pay. The story will be familiar to many workers: another below-inflation pay offer was the straw that broke the camel’s back after years of real-terms pay cuts. Management claims there isn’t the money to pay more, but refuses to open its books for the union to check that claim.
Bosses say they want to prioritise the wellbeing of service users, but workers were clear that their own money worries make it harder to support people effectively. One explained that the issue isn’t isolated but is related to the wider model of charity funding, where services are delivered on behalf of councils but without the security of long-term funding.
The other issue on the table is union recognition. Managers made promises about this over a year ago, but are yet to deliver. A last-minute proposal was made in the run-up to the strike, but on worse terms than had previously been promised, which weren’t acceptable to the union. Workers explained that the managers seem to be in favour of trade unionism, but only when it happens elsewhere!
Staff feel differently though, and the union has recruited more members during the dispute. One obstacle to people joining has been Unison’s affiliation to Labour, with activists having to reassure people that they could opt out from giving them any money. That’s not holding the strikers back though – the union is determined to keep building, keep fighting and win for their members.
