Tuesday, 13 December 2022
Some community support workers in Hounslow are protesting outside the council building today
Members of Unite, who are employed by Hestia, claim they’re understaffed and are facing “unrealistic changes in working practices”.
They also say that bosses have threatened disciplinary action if they discuss pay with colleagues during work.
The workers provide support around mental health, addiction, and language.
A Hestia spokesperson said:
“As a charity, we value our dedicated and passionate staff without whom we would not be able to deliver life-changing services across the capital. We have been consulting with staff at Hounslow LIFE about changes to their service to reduce their workloads and have had positive feedback from them on the steps we have taken to respond to their consultation feedback.
“It’s sad that eight staff at our Hounslow service went out on strike yesterday and today. We are of course doing everything we can to ensure that any disruption for our service users is minimised. We will also continue to work alongside our staff to ensure we are doing everything possible to make this vital service as successful as it can be.
“We cannot deliver support to those who need us without our talented and dedicated staff. To strengthen our engagement with employees, we have formally recognised UNISON for collective bargaining rights, and we will continue to work with them alongside our existing Employee Forum to create the best working environment possible for Hestia employees.”
posted by Radio Jackie News Team @ 12:38 pm
