Socialist Party Wales Socialism In Wales
By Mark Evans, President Swansea Trades Council and retired unison member
On October 9th, I highlighted that Health Care Support Workers (HCSW) felt betrayed by the decision of Swansea Bay University Health Board to renege on a local agreement to upgrade these poorly paid employees from Grade 2 to Grade 3.
Following a protest outside Morriston Hospital, they held a lobby of the health board in Port Talbot, where a petition of 2,000 signatures was handed in by their Swansea Bay Healthcare Unison branch.
The health board has now reversed their decision and will cough up the cash to fund the upgrade! Previously, they claimed the reason for ditching their agreement with Unison was that they did not have the funds.
The board members who received the petition were clearly rattled by the strength of feeling of the 30 or so workers, who indicated their determination and were prepared to take industrial action to force the board to honour their agreement.
Swansea and District Trades Council and Socialist Party members supported both protests and Unison’s campaign. It was clearly the threat of industrial action that forced the health board to back down.
