Today (May 9th), AWP staff joined in another lunchtime protest orchestrated by Unison Wiltshire and Avon branch. BCWN has been  scathingly critical of these pantomime pickets, since they take place over our lunch breaks and as such involve no actual work stoppage (see our previous response here). Staff's response today was fairly mixed but despite … Continue reading AWP: Another lunchtime walkout, and threats and bribes from the CEO.

Well, it finally happened. Last week Unison formally notified AWP CEO's that they will be balloting admin staff for a strike against the proposed cuts to admin jobs. We're incredibly excited about this and will be doing our best to support our workmates in whatever way we can. Let's fight to win.

AWP’s CEOs have now responded to the formal dispute raised by Unison two weeks ago. Management’s response doesn’t adequately address the  problems which the union raised, and on Monday we had news that Unison Wiltshire and Avon branch are preparing for a strike ballot. BCWN has been (and always will be) critical of the mainstream … Continue reading AWP job cuts update: Unison amble into action.

    Avon and Wiltshire Partnership (AWP) is an NHS mental health trust which covers Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire localities. AWP also runs some services in Dorset. AWP employs about 4000 people including a fair few BCWN members. AWP is planning on cutting band 4 admin … Continue reading Update on the AWP admin job cuts

When is an action not an action?   When you have to do it on your lunchbreak to avoid inconveniencing your employer. When it doesn't involve any, you know, action. When it's organised by Unison.   AWP, our local NHS mental health trust, are cutting 70+ band 4 admin posts, with a knock-on effect on … Continue reading “Like Punching Yourself in the Face So You Can Show Off The Bruise”- Job cuts in AWP, and a day of action without any action.

Bristol Care Workers Network statement on the Stand up to Mencap! demo on October 27th Who are we? Bristol Care Workers Network is a grassroots union for health and social care workers in Bristol. We take inspiration from radical and syndicalist unions like the Solidarity Federation and the IWW. We reject the top-down, bureaucratic trade … Continue reading “Law or no law, we intend to keep fighting”- Bristol Care Workers Network statement on the Stand up to Mencap! demo on October 27th

We asked five Bristol social care workers about their experiences of sleeping night shifts. This is what they said: "One thing that really effects me after a sleep-in is the back pain I suffer. I have a firm good quality mattress at home to help support my back. Unfortunately, all the sleep-in mattresses are cheap … Continue reading Five Bristol Care Workers Talk About Sleep Shifts

Mencap have gone to court to demand that the government overturns it’s recent ruling on pay for sleeping shifts. Because of Mencap, millions of low-paid workers will now be denied the minimum wage for their sleep shifts. We want to send a message to Mencap- The working class are not powerless. On October 27th, Bristol … Continue reading Mencap- Get the Message!

From one of our members: "I worked for Mencap for about a year in 2014 as a support worker. I started off working in the midlands where I was living at the time. I had a positive experience working at Mencap there, I was a part time worker and didn't have to do any sleep … Continue reading “That’s Part of the Job. You Just Have to Get on With it”

Back in July Mencap, the learning disability charity with the unappealing name, took the government to court. Mencap wanted to challenge an earlier ruling on whether or not sleep shifts count as work, for the purposes of calculating the national minimum wage. Mencap won their case and now, thanks to them, sleep shifts are no … Continue reading Sleep Shifts are Work. Care Work is Work.