Care UK

Roger Hutt, Unison Convenor for Care UK workers on strike, spoke movingly at the branch meeting on 24/09 about
their struggle.

Care UK, a privately owned subsidiary of Bridgepoint Capital (Bridgepoint is a pan-European private equity investor focused on acquiring
leading middle market businesses valued up to €1 billion) a global non-UK tax paying company, whose former chairman Lord Nash is now a government minister, took over privatised services from Doncaster Council for people with severe learning disabilities in Doncaster, south Yorkshire, this year, cutting wages of staff (who had been on NHS terms and pay scales) by up to 35% while bringing in 100 new workers on £7 an hour.

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In an attempt to rewind a national trend for the de-skilling and the imposition of low wages in social care, the strikers, a majority of whom were transferred from the NHS to Care UK, are demanding a living wage of £7.65 for their poorest-paid colleagues.

Details can be found here: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/aug/09/former-nhs-carers-intensify-strike-over-pay

Members who attended the branch meeting on 24/09 raised £220 for Roger to take back to Doncaster to support the strikers, but as the strike has national significance for all public sector workers, the branch executive believe members who were not able to attend the
meeting yesterday should have a chance to contribute too.

If you would like to contribute please give money to your rep or contact our branch treasurer Martin Levy (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

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