Why care workers are in dispute

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What is the claim about?

Residential workers want conditions of service similar to those which apply already to the vast majority of local government APT and C staff.

It was five •years ago that NALGO'S 30,000 residential workers first submitted their claim for service conditions improvements.

These were sought to rectify the fact that residential workers are not only low paid, but that they have to work shifts, weekends, public holidays, and longer hours for almost no additional remuneration.

What has been the attitude of employers?

The attitude of the national employers on pay and conditions is symptomatic of their general approach to residential care. They are prepared to rely on the good will of residential social workers to prop up a caring service in the face of low pay, poor conditions, high stress, minimal training opportunitics and appalling staffing levels.

They seem unmoved by the fact that thesc working conditions have resulted in a huge turnover of staff in the residential sector, and that sufficient numbers of high quality entrants are not being attracted.

Every attempt has been made to use the negotiating machinery to settle the claim. The claim has been discussed nationally seven times since carly 1982, without the employers making a singlo concession. Al a further meeting on 6 June, and in the knowledge that industrial action was being contemplated, the employers stated bluntly that "there is no room for compromise on any aspect of the caim' aspe clum has no merit»nd that The staff side have stressed NALGO and NUPE residential workers are presently involved in a national dispute in pursuit of a claim for 1) enhanced payment for shifts and irregular hours, 2) enhanced payments for weekend working, 3) premium payments for working on general and public holidays, 4) the reduction in the working week to 35 hours.

The action at present involves a ban on admissions and a ban on overtime. Socialist Organiser talked to Anne Crowder, NALGO Senior Shop Steward for residential workers in Nottinghamshire, (speaking to us in a personal capacity).

that the whole claim was negotiation.

How effective the overtime ban?

The ban has been very effective and has highlighted the fact that residential establishments are minimally staffed, even in Nottinghamshire, which is generally recognised as a good authority.

Usually staff have to work long hours to cover for sickness. holidays and vacancics. With a ban on overtime it means that management throughout the country have to employ many extra staff.

In Strathclyde, for example, over 400 extra workers have been employed.

As the dispute goes on, an increasing number of 'holcs" are appcaring in the shift rotas and alternative places for new admissions are drying up.

It is vital that no relaxation of the action occurs in this crucial period. Residential workers are standing firm and we have to ensure that this action will not be broken. Morale is high since we have received support. all reund the country.

What sort of conditions do residential workers work under?

Typical shifts for residential workers include working bank holidays, Christmas, , weekends, with shifts rotating within the week, destroying all prospects of regular social life On top of this, we have to do "sleep-in" duties, which can mean we have to get up during the night to deal with emergencies. Some shifts start at 1.00 pm and go right through to 2.00 pm the next What has been the attitude of the union nationally?

It is difficult to say what the union are doing nationally! It appears to be dragging its feet. Little feedback of the dispute is coming back to the branches. At present the vast majority of local authorities seem to have taken the decision to play it cool, and are struggling to cope with the effects of our action as best they can in the hope of an early national settlement.

Locally, we are trying to push for an escalation of the action. This is quite clearly the only way we can win the dispute. In Nottinghamshire we have attempted to involve our members at every level, and the calls for escalation of the action have clearly come from them.

We hold regular residential workers' meetings' to discuss together how the dispute is going locally and nationally. We have visited as many establishments as possible and we are trying to contact cach establishment as often as possible by phone.

We just hope that this feeling from the grass roots will be taken up by our union's leadership nationally. This is the only way to win the dispute.