Staff 'bullied, threatened and degraded' over new contracts at Powys care home
The UNISON union have made the claims after staff at Shaw Healthcare have been signing new contracts with longer working hours and no more paid breaks
It's claimed a care home firm in Powys has been stripping its staff of rights they used to have - with some saying they're being 'bullied, threatened, and degraded' into signing their new contracts.
Shaw Healthcare - which is a private firm - has told their employees that they have to agree to the changes in their working conditions, or else they would face being fired before being re-hired on weaker contracts.
According to the UNISON Cymru Wales, executives from the care home company have 'refused to negotiate' with their representatives.
Earlier last week (April 11), the union wrote an open letter to Powys County Council, urging them to reprimand the firm after their behaviour, which has been described as 'bullying'.
UNISON says Shaw’s care staff will no longer have a paid 30-minute break and their shifts have been extended by half an hour.
Shaw has also banned staff from eating prepared food with residents at meal times, which was a contractual right. Now staff will be allowed to eat ‘leftovers’ if they pay.
The care firm alleges the employment conditions of staff must be slashed if it is to win a renewed contract with the local authority, something UNISON says is not an unusual practice at private and not-for-profit care firms.
The trade union campaigns for care services to be provided directly by the council which is democratically accountable.
Care workers whistle-blew to UNISON under anonymity
A care worker speaking to UNISON on condition of anonymity said: “I can’t begin to tell you the negative emotions I am feeling right now almost to the point where I feel like I can’t go on. The feelings of being bullied, threatened and degraded are paramount at the moment.”
A second care worker, again speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “In all honesty, we have been held over a barrel. They are targeting the lowest paid and now we’re getting a pay cut – we are paid for 7 hours, but they are asking us to work 7 and a half hours. When the company told me I felt sick.
“We know what we mean to the residents and we always put them first. We gave up seeing our own families to look after them during covid so when, as a parting shot, the company asked us to think of the service, I just didn’t feel like a valued member of staff.”
John Byrne, UNISON Powys County branch secretary, said: “Shaw healthcare is exploiting hard working staff, who are already low paid. Care workers give everything to support people in our community, but their employer has been bullying them to give up their rights.
“These are local jobs and it is right for the council to investigate and ensure all care workers are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. Ultimately, directly provided council care services are the best guarantee of standards for staff and services users.”
UNISON has also written to the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Julie Morgan, to complain about Shaw Healthcare. It says the care commissioning process has failed and the need to generate a profit is the barrier to improved care services in Wales.
Shaw Healthcare's response
A spokesperson for Shaw healthcare said: “We have stopped paying for a 30-minute lunch break and providing a free sandwich.
"Instead, we are paying for a 30-minute handover relating to resident care either side of shifts and are asking employees to contribute to a heavily subsidised cooked meal.
"Since becoming an employee-owned company, we have implemented two Real Living Wage salary increases, given each full-time employee tax free bonuses of £1250 as well as providing a range of other benefits and improved terms and conditions.
"We have undertaken a full consultation with our employees, the majority of whom have accepted the changes and no employee has been ‘bullied’ or forced into accepting the changes.”