Wigan drug and alcohol rehab workers are back on the picket line

A long-running pay dispute between Wigan drug and alcohol rehab staff and their employer has escalated again with the start of a 10-day strike.
A striker outside the Coops building in Dorning StreetA striker outside the Coops building in Dorning Street
A striker outside the Coops building in Dorning Street

Around 30 workers at We Are With You delivering a council-commissioned support service took to the picket line on Monday this week.

The Unison members are in dispute over pay rates not keeping up with their colleagues who remained in the health service when they were transferred.

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We Are With You says it is disappointed at the prospect of further industrial action and criticised Unison over its handling of negotiations.

The picket lineThe picket line
The picket line

Between them, the support workers stand to lose £230,000 in wages over the duration of We Are With You’s contract with Wigan Council.

Thirty UNISON members voted 100% in favour of strike action over We Are With You’s failure to ensure that staff transferred from the NHS receive the full NHS rates of pay.

From Monday, they will begin 10 days of strike action and hope to make their presence known whilst respecting the Government’s coronavirus restrictions. The rehab workers are holding socially distanced picket lines in Wigan and Leigh and will hold a virtual rally featuring speakers including Lisa Nandy, MP for Wigan and Shadow Foreign Secretary.

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Unison members have taken 16 days of strike action previously over the unresolved issue. The support workers postponed all strike action during the initial lockdown period but have become frustrated by their employer’s failure to settle the dispute.

Unison has now been officially recognised by the charityUnison has now been officially recognised by the charity
Unison has now been officially recognised by the charity

Meanwhile, the drug and alcohol support workers have finally won a battle that means We Are With You recognises Unison as their trade union. They began their campaign to be represented collectively through Unison in 2019 but their employer refused to negotiate with the union.

But earlier this week, the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) declared Unison to be the recognised union for We Are With You workers in Wigan and Leigh. The CAC did not uphold any of We Are With You management’s objections and were satisfied that over 50 per cent of workers were members of Unison. This decision means that We Are With You will be forced to negotiate with the support workers collectively through their union from now on.

Unison North West regional organiser Paddy Cleary said: “We knew last year that over half of the workforce were members of Unison and wanted their employer to recognise Unison as their trade union. We Are With You have done everything within their power to prevent this from happening but this determined group of workers have succeeded in their campaign.

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“We Are With You have refused to settle the dispute despite our attempts to negotiate again this week. This strike action could have been avoided if We Are With You had made a consolidated pay offer. They must now get back around the negotiating table and keep the pay promise they made to these workers. It’s the least they deserve after providing this vital service to the people of Wigan and Leigh throughout the pandemic.”

A spokesperson for the charity said: “We have now made three significant offers to end the dispute, but Unison has unfortunately not shown any willingness to negotiate a fair deal.”