Staff at a care firm in Salford have voted to strike after claims of mistreatment and problems with being paid.
Unison members at Pemberton Fold and Heartly Green care homes voted unanimously for strike action in August, after staff claimed they were missing payments from their salaries for mandatory training.
The trade union said Bradford-based Park Homes, the company which runs the care homes, “refused to acknowledge” talks about salaries in March, leaving its members feeling “angry” over how they were treated.
Park Homes admitted there was a “long-term” issue with training pay which they say existed before the company took over running the care homes, and is an issue that is being resolved.
It added that it has been speaking to its workers about pay rates for “some time.”
The company, which runs a number of care homes in England and Scotland, made a net profit of more than £4.6 million over the last two years according to its latest financial statement.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands a date for strike action has not yet been set by Unison members.
A team leader working for Park Homes, who wanted to stay anonymous, told the LDRS that staff were getting “no support” from managers and that morale was “extremely low.”
They claimed workers had suffered abuse and mistreatment by the company.
“There’s immense stress on the workers. People have been sworn at in meetings with managers, I can’t do this anymore,” they said.
“People are owed money from mandatory training which they haven’t been paid for. We are understaffed, there have been times when I have been responsible for entire homes of residents and staff on my own.”
Park Homes said it has taken the concerns “very seriously” and held meetings with its workers to create an action plan to address issues which can be resolved.
Unison President Steve North said the trade union has tried to work with Park Homes to address the problems raised by staff, but these attempts had failed to make enough progress.
He added: “We’ve got to the stage where our members are very angry but many feel strike action is necessary for the company to take them seriously.
“We need to see an uplift in their pay, but many would also say for the other issues to be resolved they need to see that when Park Homes say they will do something, they do it.”
Salford City Council, which owns the care homes and leases them to Park Homes, said care for residents will continue during the strike.
The city’s deputy mayor John Merry urged all sides to come together to find a way forward.
He added: “The council wants both parties involved in the issues over working conditions to sit down and have a constructive dialogue and find a positive resolution for all and we will do our best to facilitate this.”
Coun Mishal Saeed, Salford’s executive support member for social care, said Park Homes staff had reported a “myriad of issues related to poor work conditions.”
“Although some issues, such as annual leave carryover were resolved, many issues, such as training pay not being paid appropriately, and insufficient staff on rotas, were still left outstanding,” she said.
“It has been difficult for staff to raise issues because the management doesn’t engage with their staff effectively, as you would expect from a responsible employer.”
Coun Saeed added: “Park Homes need to treat their employees fairly, improve work conditions and engage with their staff as well as their trade union representatives.”
A Park Homes spokesperson said rates of pay are set by the council and that it is speaking to the town hall about this.
They said: “We have liaised closely with Salford City Council, which sets the rates of pay and is above the minimum wage, to see if any positive changes can be made.
“We fully appreciate the pressures that care workers face, especially in today’s challenging environment. The care sector as a whole is experiencing significant financial constraints, and we are doing everything within our power to balance these realities with the needs and expectations of our staff.
“We are always committed to ensuring our residents are safe and receive high-quality care. Contingency plans are being put in place to ensure that continues during the industrial action.
“Residents and their families will be kept informed regarding the strike action and how we plan to staff the homes during that time.”
