A period of rolling strike action will hit care firm, Sirona, throughout June, after public service union, UNISON, announced the dates care workers will walk out.

More than one hundred care workers will go on strike for 24 hours on 6th June, followed by a series of shorter walkouts every other day for the rest of the month. Care workers say they have been driven to take action by plans for a pay cut from Sirona management. Bosses plan to make staff work extra shifts for free, or see their wages fall.

Sirona is £170,000 short after B&NES cut its funding in 2017, but council leaders have so far refused to intervene. In an email to UNISON, it is reported that Council Leader, Tim Warren, claimed that the pay cut for Sirona employees would “bring them in line” with other care workers. UNISON organiser, John Drake, said: “The care workers have been left with no choice but to go on strike. We’ve negotiated with Sirona for months, but the pay cut is still on the table. These staff cannot afford to take a pay cut. Most of them are women, doing the lion’s share of caring in their own homes as well. Extra shifts are unworkable.

“B&NES created Sirona; it pays the firm to provide care services, and it cut Sirona’s funding last year. Council leaders need to take responsibility, so we can find a way to avert the strike. It’s not acceptable for B&NES leaders to claim this pay cut is justified, and we are asking members of the public to write to their councillors telling them just that.

“There is still time for B&NES and Sirona to find a way forward. Last year, the Council found £3.4 million to cover its overspends. I think they can find less than one twentieth of that to help the care workers now.”

A spokesperson for the Council said: “B&NES Council has not reduced the amount given to Sirona for these services – the Council has also invested a further £700,000 to modernise the Community Resource Centres.

“Like all local authorities, the Council has a duty under the Care Act to make sure people continue to have their care needs met when the regular service that supports them is interrupted. Sirona also has a responsibility to support this, and has given assurance that care services will continue.”

Janet Rowse, Chief Executive, Sirona Care and Health, told The Journal: “We are saddened that some of the staff in our Residential and Extra Care Homes have voted for strike action, but we do understand the impact that the changes we are having to make will have for many of them and we respect their right to protest.

“The issue on which we have failed to agree relates to moving staff in residential and extra care services from paid to unpaid breaks when they work more than six hours. This is consistent with other providers of residential and extra care services and with other staff within Sirona. However, we are also doing all we can to see if industrial action can still be averted; we have recently tried to find a way forward with the help of conciliation via the independent organisation ACAS.

“The care provided by our staff is phenomenal, and it is with great reluctance that we do anything which impacts directly on them. We do, however, need to live within our means, whilst finding a way of continuing to provide high quality care within our reduced level of resources.”