When Sirona proposed to cut 30 minutes pay per shift from 160 low-paid care workers in Bath our members decided to fight back.
Within weeks the UNISON stewards in the workplace had doubled the membership from 60 members to 120 members, representing 75% of the total workforce impacted.
The stewards built a strong and cohesive membership group, leading them through a collective grievance, consultative ballot and formal industrial action process having held ten rounds of strike action in a seven month period.
The Sirona stewards were recognised at UNISON’s Get Active awards ceremony in Taunton winning the Organising Rep of the Year award for the Community, Voluntary or Private sector. Andy McGuiness and Bernadette Yea collected the award on behalf of the rest of the group.
UNISON President Gordon McKay presented the award:
“Our winners have all done a remarkable job of supporting and empowering the members in their homes to stand strong and say no to senior management.
“They have all demonstrated resilience in the extremely difficult situation of holding their senior management to account, challenging them in an always professional manner on issues of enormous personal importance to them.”
