Carers demo today in Royal Square

Wednesday 24 May 2017

A public demonstration has been organised today to show support for home care workers who are currently in dispute with a local charity over their contracts.

Its been organised by Reform Jersey who claim the Family Nursing and Home Care staff are being harshly treated.

The proposed changes in contractual terms and conditions follow a decision from Health and Social Services to reduce funding for the services provided by FNHC, who say they have "to evolve [their] service into a not-for-profit business."

Care workers have been asked to agree the new deal or face losing their jobs. As part of the new terms and conditions, they will not receive payment for travel time any more. Reform Jersey describes the situation as unacceptable and, "an erosion of their terms and conditions...a care worker who spends 2.5 hours on the road on an 8 hour shift, for example, will only be paid for 5.5 hours, or 27.5 hours a week, when they have actually done 40 hours a week."

The protest has been organised for between 13:30 and 14:15, to coincide with the lunch break on the planned States sitting - which actually finished yesterday instead, after the main debate on hospital funding was withdrawn. 

The issue of the new FNHC terms and conditions came up during the States Assembly though, when the Health Minister Andrew Green was asked which measures he was considering to ensure the continuity of the service. The Minister replied that it was his priority "...to ensure patients' safety and continuity of care" adding that FNHC had indicated that "...the bulk of the care required could be covered by the staff who have chosen to stay."

Deputy Geoff Southern said that figures quoted by officials in the Union showed that approximately two thirds of the care workers had refused to sign their contracts but Minister Green replied that the "... situation is changing daily."

When asked by Deputy Montfort Tadier if he believed that "...the terms and conditions being imposed or suggested at FNHC were an example of a race to the bottom", the Minister declined to comment further, adding that the Assembly was not the place "to discuss wages or conditions of any organisation."