Roger Bannister, Merseyside Socialist Party
In a shock move, the director of Orchard Day Nursery in Huyton, Knowsley on Merseyside announced that the nursery was closed with immediate effect, initially with a sign posted on the gates on 18 March – a move that left parents in the lurch and angry, and putting jobs at risk.
For several months now, Knowsley Unison has been seeking to represent workers at the nursery in respect of issues ranging from work-related stress to pay, submitting a claim that sought to have workers paid £15 an hour. During negotiations, the claim was reduced to the Real Living Wage of £10.90 an hour for the lowest-paid staff.
This anti-union employer initially refused to deal with Unison, but was forced to recognise the union when the vast majority of workers joined the union, which under law gave the employer no other option.
Despite constant pleas of poverty, Orchard Day Nursery’s latest accounts show profits in excess of £100,000. The same director also runs a group of nurseries under the company Brightstart Day Nurseries which had recorded profits in excess of £1 million!
The owner made some movement but refused to budge on what Unison members decided was their red line, £10.90 an hour for the lowest-paid and £11.50 for qualified staff. This resulted in strike action by the workers.
Unison contacted the owner through conciliation service Acas, asking for a meeting to resolve the dispute, but was totally ignored.
This fight is not over, a public meeting has been organised in Huyton on 23 March to decide on the next stage of this campaign.
