UNISON has attacked cuts to the community and voluntary sector which are affecting the “most vulnerable” in our society.
Speaking ahead of the region’s first conference for UNISON members in the community and voluntary sector, UNISON South West regional secretary Joanne Kaye said:
“Cuts to funding for these essential services are placing the most vulnerable in society at risk.
“When workers, often already very low-paid, have their pay cut and terms and conditions reduced further, they may well be forced to seek other jobs or additional work, making it difficult to provide the high levels of care required. Recruiting skilled staff also becomes even more difficult.
“UNISON will expose this scandal and put pressure on the government to end this twin attack on the most vulnerable in society and those who care for them.”
UNISON South West will be launching a major campaign to resist further attacks by employers and to blow the whistle on poor practice and abuse.
With the expansion of the commissioning of services, rather than direct provision by the public sector, more and more services are being transferred to the community sector.
And it has borne the brunt of public sector funding cuts with many workers facing redundancy, cuts to pay and reductions in conditions of service.
Cuts to funding directly affect standards of care to the most vulnerable.
Many employers are losing experienced and highly trained staff and that it is now difficult to recruit staff with the essential training and skills to provide high levels of care.
UNISON believes this is placing those who are most vulnerable at risk.
