…Researched and contributed by Solomon Thomas.
Care workers at Shaw Healthcare in Powys have claimed they are being bullied into accepting new terms and conditions or risk losing their jobs.
The workers say they are being asked to work longer hours for less pay.
Shaw Healthcare, which has been running 12 care homes in the Welsh county for about four years, has reportedly threatened to “fire and rehire” those who do not agree to the changes.
The firm maintains that it has been in consultation with workers for the past three months and that most have accepted the new terms.
The company said the changes are necessary to maintain a “viable” contract with Powys council.
The union Unison said that Shaw’s care staff had lost their paid 30-minute breaks, and their shifts had been extended by 30 minutes.
John Byrne, Unison’s branch secretary for Powys, accused Shaw Healthcare of exploiting low-paid, hardworking staff who are already working in challenging conditions.
Unison has written to the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Julie Morgan, to complain about Shaw Healthcare.
It claimed the care commissioning process has failed and that the need to generate a profit is a barrier to improved care services in Wales.
Shaw Healthcare has been given the contract to run 12 care homes in the county since 2019.
The company is removing paid lunch breaks for staff and will start charging staff for meals at work.
The half-hour break will be replaced with two paid 15-minute handovers when shifts start and end.
The changes have been made to align Powys’ residents’ wellbeing with the rest of Shaw and best care practices in the UK, according to Abigail Katsande, regional operational director at Shaw Healthcare.
However, a care worker from Shaw Healthcare, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that they felt bullied and degraded.
They added that the company targeted the lowest-paid workers and cut their wages.
Another care worker also spoke anonymously, saying they felt undervalued and sick when the company told them of the changes.
They added that they worked long hours and gave up seeing their own families to look after residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Commentary
The situation faced by care workers at Shaw Healthcare is not new.
Many employees working in low-paid jobs are subject to poor working conditions, low wages and the threat of dismissal if they do not agree to new terms and conditions.
Such practices, such as “fire and rehire,” are unethical and unacceptable.
They create an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among workers, leading to mental health problems and stress.
The situation is particularly worrying in the care sector, where workers provide essential services to vulnerable people.
It is essential that the Welsh government and local authorities work together to ensure that care workers are treated fairly and with respect.
This means ensuring that companies are held accountable for their actions and that workers are given the support they need to do their jobs effectively.