Social work workers will go on strike for nine days from TODAY in the fourth round of strikes

Staff from social work teams across Lancashire must walk out for nine days from today (September 28) in what will be the fourth round of strikes over pay and working arrangements.

As many as 200 social care and hearing impairment officers employed by Lancashire County Council were able to join the campaign.

This follows a total of thirteen days of strikes in three rounds in July and August.

Employees want to be paid at the right rates for the work they do, but the council has so far refused this, says the Unison union.

Unison says workers have reluctantly made the decision to escalate their action. This final round will be the longest yet, starting in the early morning hours and ending at midnight on Sunday, October 6.

The staff involved carry out social care assessments for adults and arrange and assess care packages for those with additional needs. This includes the elderly and people with physical or learning disabilities, and mental health problems.

The shortage of social workers across the country and increasing demand across the country has seen their roles expand significantly over the past decade, Unison says.

The union says that support staff are often used in place of social workers, but they no longer receive wages.

Due to the shortages, support staff regularly perform complex tasks. These include supporting survivors of domestic violence, victims of sexual exploitation and people experiencing periods of severe self-neglect, Unison says.

The dispute arose because staff work in the sixth grade of the council’s pay scale, but believe they should be in the next grade due to the challenging work they do.

Staff in grade six are paid up to £4,200 a year less than staff in higher grade seven, Unison says.

James Rupa, regional organizer for Unison North West, said: “Adult social care in Lancashire is heading for collapse and the county council is asleep at the wheel.

‘The authority has long relied on social care support workers to deliver essential services above and beyond their salary levels, exploiting their skills and paying them cheaply.

“Despite three previous rounds of action demanding fair reclassification, the council continues to ignore the concerns of these employees. In the meantime, waiting times for the service are increasing and the backlog is increasing.

“It is critical that the city resolves this issue so that these workers can get back to work and start cleaning up the mess the city has created before things get even further out of hand.”

– On weekdays there are picket lines at the following locations:

• Monday 30 September – Skelmersdale Library (8am-10am)

• Tuesday 1 October – Lancs House, Accrington (8am-10am)

• Wednesday 2 October – Whitecross, Lancaster (8am-10am)

• Thursday 3 October – County Hall, Preston (8am – 12pm)

• Friday 4 October – Four Lane Ends, Thornton (8am-10am)

Lancashire Council has been contacted for comment.