Care workers call off strike after council talks

Sherrie Ellie More than a dozen women are standing on the steps of Shire Hall. Many have red tops on and black trousers whilst others are dressed in white. They are holding up cardboard placards saying things like "stop outsourcing" and "stop the transfer." The largest banner is a cloth one saying "county of Gloucestershire" on a purple background with the Unison logo below.Sherrie Ellie
The reablement workers had been planning to take industrial action on Monday

A proposed strike by care workers over plans to outsource their work to a private company has been cancelled.

Gloucestershire reablement workers, who help people regain their independence after a hospital stay, had planned to take industrial action on Monday with Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) considering outsourcing their contracts.

But Unison said on Friday it had made the decision to call off the strike as the union and GCC had engaged in ACAS talks.

A joint spokesperson for GCC and Gloucestershire Health and Care Trust thanked those involved in the talks for taking a "constructive approach", adding they were pleased the strike had been withdrawn.

"The outcome reflects a shared commitment to finding a positive way forward and to supporting colleagues working within the reablement service," the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, Unison said it hoped the talks would "result in a resolution".

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