Heading towards a general strike?

What I will say is that I have mentioned having a union at work and have been told quite categorically that the owner would sell up and retire… and I believe he would.

I must have misunderstood. This sounds like the threat of losing your job to me.

Without the goodwill of these people then the care industry would be in a worse state than it already is.

Precisely! But goodwill won’t pay this winter’s energy bills or put food on the table. Care workers, like all workers, deserve a decent, living wage.

LizzieDrip

It is precisely because people such as OP are being exploited by private bosses that the big, powerful unions need to strike - they are doing it to support ALL workers. In 2022 an employee should not be blackmailed by her boss and threatened with losing her job simply because she stands up for her rights. We aren’t living in Dickensian Britain (although, I do wonder at times).

Good lord how often do I have to say it? I am neither being blackmailed or threatened by the owner of my care home!!

It is precisely because people such as OP are being exploited by private bosses that the big, powerful unions need to strike - they are doing it to support ALL workers. In 2022 an employee should not be blackmailed by her boss and threatened with losing her job simply because she stands up for her rights. We aren’t living in Dickensian Britain (although, I do wonder at times).

RichmondPark1

Shinamae You boss is very lucky to have found such a hard working, compassionate and committed employee. It sounds as though you are devoted to the people in your care.

Just as he could sell up and retire, so you could up and leave. If you were to threaten this would he pay you more? A union makes these kind of negotiations on employees behalf and would benefit you and your hard-working colleagues. Your boss knows that and that's why he 'doesn't want the hassle'.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the care home sector in light of the government's proposals to make it easier for care home workers to come to the country and fill the thousands of job vacancies here.

Care home workers should pay more.

What is happening, at least in the care home I work in is that we are employing a lot of Indians because the English do not want the hard work at such low wages. There is some sort of scheme where he sponsors the Indians to come over and they then have to stay for five years.
I have absolutely nothing against the Indians,they are hard-working and reliable but their English is very poor and the residents cannot understand what they’re saying but we need feet on the floor and that’s the bottom line. I can see as the English leave (and I don’t know how much longer I will be working because I’m 69 now) we will have more and more Indian workers and I think you’ll find a lot of care homes rely on foreign workers..

No, Glorianny, a general strike would not be ‘great’. A lot of people would suffer in many ways.

Normandygirl

What I will say is that I have mentioned having a union at work and have been told quite categorically that the owner would sell up and retire… and I believe he would..

So you broach the subject of belonging to a union at work and the " categorical" response is if that happens I will sell up . Sounds very much like blackmail to me.

HE has NOT said any such thing,it is the consensus of the management..

In general care workers don’t have unions, it just doesn’t happen. They can ill afford to join them when they’re earning so little. Also the home carers have it even worse. They get minimum wage in general, and that’s only payable when they’re actually on a call. So when clients aren’t in close proximity to each other or there's a gap, eg they only work 20 minutes in one hour then they get paid for that time and nothing for the other 40 minutes. Without the goodwill of these people then the care industry would be in a worse state than it already is. Fact of the matter is that if employers are working within the law then nothing can be done. Retail workers have a raw deal too. I’ve been a member of USDAW, Unison and currently, Unite. None of them are much good. Can you imagine what would happen if workers in care,retail and manufacturing went on strike. It would have terrible consequences. And yet they aren’t paid as much as rail workers, nor do they have the better conditions either. It’s been like that forever, including under Labour governments. It’s a sorry situation.

Wouldn't a general strike be great! This Tory government brought to heel for the way it has permitted the rich to prosper and the poor to suffer.
Shinamae you have lots of advice about joining a union. I would ask how much do you suppose your employer takes home each year? And why is he so afraid of union membership? Could it possibly be because he knows he is exploiting you?

Also, is it 'hassle' to want decently paid, appreciated, happy employees who stay and work hard? If it is then he shouldn't be in the business of employing people.

If care home employers paid a decent, fair wage they wouldn't be such difficulty recruiting and retaining staff.

Shinamae You boss is very lucky to have found such a hard working, compassionate and committed employee. It sounds as though you are devoted to the people in your care.

Just as he could sell up and retire, so you could up and leave. If you were to threaten this would he pay you more? A union makes these kind of negotiations on employees behalf and would benefit you and your hard-working colleagues. Your boss knows that and that's why he 'doesn't want the hassle'.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the care home sector in light of the government's proposals to make it easier for care home workers to come to the country and fill the thousands of job vacancies here.

Care home workers should pay more.

What I will say is that I have mentioned having a union at work and have been told quite categorically that the owner would sell up and retire… and I believe he would..

So you broach the subject of belonging to a union at work and the " categorical" response is if that happens I will sell up . Sounds very much like blackmail to me.

Normandygirl

"What I will say is that I have mentioned having a union at work and have been told quite categorically that the owner would sell up and retire… and I believe he would.."

Your employer has no right to know if you are a union member or not and certainly cannot use blackmail to discourage you joining one.

Good lord, I have not said he would use blackmail! I just think he would not want the hassle and as he is in his late 50s he could easily sell up and retire..

If the care home is privately owned then the owner will sell one day, union or no union. All the more reason to belong to one, which can advise and protect you. There is no need for the owner to know that any of his staff belong to a union until then.

Shinamae, you are being exploited, as are the patients in the care home. The owner will sell up and retire when it suits him, not because you and your fellow workers join a union but because enforcement of Government regulations on better care is eating into his profits.
Care work is here to stay, but unions can negotiate better terms and conditions for their members who are then not at the mercy of bullies like your present boss.

Easybee's very sensible post of 18.24 advises you to join a union which in my opinion is absolutely essential. You might find you need legal representation one day. You really should protect yourself.

"What I will say is that I have mentioned having a union at work and have been told quite categorically that the owner would sell up and retire… and I believe he would.."

Your employer has no right to know if you are a union member or not and certainly cannot use blackmail to discourage you joining one.

Shinamae

Normandygirl

Shinamae
Forgive me if I have got this wrong, but your OP seems to be suggesting that because of the caring nature of what you do, you feel that it is somehow wrong for those who already get higher pay to go on strike for better pay and conditions ?

That’s not what I’m saying at all!

Thankyou for clarifying. My mis-interpretation!

Shinamae, carers should be paid more, £15.00 per hour minimum and with good terms and conditions
Johnson stood outside number 10 claiming he had an oven ready plan for social care. It was clear to anyone who ever worked in or close to social care thus was a lie.
Forcing local authorities to sell off its childrens homes and residential care homes, to allow hone care to be privatised has proved to be the disaster predicted
We should subsidise social care (and child ten’s care) these key elements should never have been privatised

Shinamae

ixion

-he must

That’s the crux of the matter,I do love the job and most carers do,they certainly do not do it for the money…

Sorry that was a reply to Varian..

ixion

-he must

That’s the crux of the matter,I do love the job and most carers do,they certainly do not do it for the money…

I agree, we should be heading towards a national strike. Given that our current government's first impulse is to line their own pockets, without paying their share into our tax system, we should show them we don't want any more of their sh*t.

Shiname if you are earning £9,50 an hour working as a carer, which is skilled and responsible job, you must know that you could earn £15 per hour as a self employed cleaner.

Perhaps you love your job and are a very caring person but you are being exploited. Join a union and ensure that you and other skilled carers are better rewarded

-he must

Then must be afraid of something.