By a Greater Manchester Mental Health branch Unison member
The strike is currently ongoing both today (Friday 8 November) and Monday 11 November from, with pickets outside Prestwich Hospital from 8-11am on both days. Socialist Alternative would encourage visits to the picket lines to bring solidarity to these workers in struggle
Three Manchester Early Intervention in Psychosis Teams (EIS) recently held a ballot with UNISON and Unite members, voting overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action. They took their first day of strike action on Wednesday October 16. This action is not over workers’ pay, which is shamefully low, but over protecting the service, service users, carers, the community and the dedicated workers.
The strikers are calling on Health Minister Wes Streeting to rectify this situation and provide adequate emergency funding, followed by sustained funding that allows Manchester community mental health services to effectively function and assist the most vulnerable within our community.
It is a wake-up call for the commissioners and the government that workers have had enough of austerity in these deprived communities. As we go to press, union members are discussing further strike dates and may be meeting with Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to discuss funding. Labour will need to find the funding for Greater Manchester Mental Health.
The strike highlights the dire state of mental health services in Manchester. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has inspected the community services in Manchester on multiple occasions recently.
They identified serious concerns about safety and the quality of services, issuing several Section 29A notices. These are the CQC’s ‘fix this or else’ warnings, which mean serious problems exist.
These issues are reflected across the country, as 14 years of Tory (and now Labour) austerity have ravaged services for some of the most vulnerable people in society. In Greater Manchester, community mental health services have been underfunded and neglected, creating a service that is understaffed, has low morale and has issues retaining their staff.
Chronic underfunding driving down services
Many will have seen the shocking Panorama episode identifying appalling behaviour within the ‘secure forensic services’ at the Edenfield unit in Prestwich at the end of 2022. The subsequent investigations identified concerns with the Trust management, not least of which was a culture of complacency, avoidance of dealing with inadequate staffing levels and suppression of voices expressing concern towards senior management. These issues are exacerbated by chronic underfunding of services, low pay of staff and very low morale.
The strike action could be the first steps for frontline mental health workers in Greater Manchester, and indeed across the country, to start the struggle for the funding for our vital services. It is through broadening these campaigns to link up with other mental health workers, service user groups and carers, that a movement can win the resources our communities need.
Currently, the Greater Manchester commissioners are in ‘special measures’ because of the ‘over-spending’ that has taken place over the past few years. Commissioners say that they have to recoup a £180 million ‘debt’ by imposing yet more austerity on services locally. We cannot rely on these people for the services we need. Begging for more funds never works, but a strong community campaign of staff, service users and carers can force the commissioners to act and the government to fund.
For updates, please check out the strikers’ dedicated Twitter account @MancStrikeNHS or contact them on MancStrikeMH@yahoo.co.uk
