thought this may be of interest to some people:
Manchester Community and Mental Health Branch
Union office, Chorlton House, 70 Manchester Rd, Chorlton, Manchester M21 2
UN.
Press release - Monday 29th January
NHS workers to strike 31st January
250 employees of Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust will take
their first day’s strike on Wednesday January 31st. This follows a 91.6%
ballot result in favour of strike action.
The strike action will be taken by 250 community nurses, occupational
therapists and team secretaries to stop the cuts in community mental health
teams which include:
reduction in staffing numbers in community mental health teams and
consequent higher caseloads, and a reduction in service to keep people well
job freeze on all nursing posts in the Trust as there will be 33 less
nursing posts and 8 less OT posts (yet they can afford an expansion of 24
extra managers at a cost of £1.25million!!)
downgrading of most nursing, occupational therapy and admin staff,
possibilities of complusory redundancies,
possible privatisation of four community teams,
closure of one of the south Manchester old age day centres and 7day support
team.
There will be picket lines at
Chorlton House, 70 Manchester Rd, Chorlton,
MRI corner of Oxford Rd and Hathersage Rd,
North Manchester general hospital, Delauney Rd, Crumpsall,
Kath Locke health centre, corner of Moss Lane and Alexander Rd, Moss side,
Beech Mount, corner with Rochdale Rd, Harpurhey.
Strikers will assemble for a photo call at 11.45am at the Queen Victoria
statue in Piccadilly before going to a strike rally at 12noon in Central
Methodist Hall, Oldham St, for a joint rally with other strikers out the
same day ie civil servants, Fujitsu workers.
Further information is available from Karen Reissmann, UNISON branch chair
and one of the striking community nurses on 07977 986 179 or from Andy Gill,
UNISON regional officer, UNISON North West Regional office on 0161 211 1000.
Messages of support to karen at reissmann.fsnet.co.uk
or to union office, 70 Manchester Rd, Chorlton, Manchester M21 9UN
I will be there, anyone coming?