Low-paid health workers in Swansea feel betrayed

By Mark Evans, President of Swansea Trades Council, and Swansea Socialist Party

About 40 enthusiastic and determined members of Unison attended a 6.30am protest outside Morriston Hospital in Swansea, on a dark and damp 8 October. Socialist Party and Swansea Trades Council members attended, offering solidarity and support, and were welcomed.

The protest was organised by Swansea Bay Healthcare Unison in response to the decision of the employer, Swansea Bay University Health Board, to pull the plug on a local agreement to upgrade Health Care Support Workers from band two to band three pay.

For about five years these women workers have been exploited, carrying out the duties of a band three but not paid for this work.

The excuse given for not implementing the agreement and paying back-pay is that the Welsh government is in talks with the trade unions nationally, and the employers say they are waiting for the conclusions of these all-Wales discussions. Some of us are sceptical and think that the health board made the original agreement to avoid strike action in the run-up to Christmas last year. Unison members feel betrayed, and say that no explanation was provided when the plug was pulled.

There is no justification for reneging on the agreement. If the Welsh government comes to a national agreement with Unison and the other unions on these issues, and in the unlikely scenario that any national agreement is greater than the local one, then that can be paid on top.

Health Care Support Workers are scandalously among the lowest paid in the NHS. They were relying on this money, and had no doubt planned how to spend what they had earned and deserved.

Low-paid workers cannot wait, and the Health Board should immediately implement the local agreement. The Labour Welsh government should order them to do so.

This is another example of ‘social partnership’ being a sham. The employers and the government talk of partnership with the unions while continuing to treat low-paid employees with disdain.