Senior Practitioners will take industrial action in a dispute over failure to deal with workers’ issues and imposition of changes
Unite members within Social Care Direct (Children’s Services) are set to strike from 16 to 18 April in a dispute about imposed changes at work, continued mistreatment from management and the failure to deal with issues raised by workers.
Read on to understand the impact and how you can help your colleagues in dispute:
Front door to social work
Social Care Direct is the ‘front door’ to social work for children and families in Edinburgh, therefore the strike will have a significant impact. However, the Council have chosen to ignore workers in this area, knowing that this would result in industrial action that creates risks.
The workers are long-standing council workers and senior professionals. They have dedicated their lives to protecting children’s welfare and are committed to safeguarding and helping families in Edinburgh. All along Unite members have been ready to engage with management to find a resolution. However, members have been forced to take action as a last resort as management refuse to take their concerns seriously or engage in a meaningful way.
How we got here
Unite members raised concerns in January 2023 and are still awaiting a response. All the while chances were impose on the service, without consulting with workers or including them in the process.
Unite members are welcoming of changes—in fact, have been calling for them for some time—but we are clear that all changes must be done with workers not to them.
All too familiar
The Council’s failures here come in the context of the Council having allegedly improved how they deal with employee concerns following the Tanner Inquiry and last year’s Stanyte vs Edinburgh Council employment tribunal, which ruled that the council failed to appropriately handle a grievance.
How you can support your colleagues
Donate to the strike fund to support striking Unite members.
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