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Mental health workers suspend strike

17/12/2007

Manchester mental health workers who went on strike after one of their colleagues was sacked for gross misconduct have returned to work today.

Following talks with the Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust, Unison members voted to suspend the strike but have stressed that further strike action is planned for next year.

The most recent strike is the fourth time that hundreds of mental health workers have walked out to protest against the sacking of Unison official Karen Reissmann, who was suspended and then sacked for bringing the trust into disrepute.

Dave Prentis, Unison general secretary, said: "Unison will not be silenced and we shall continue to campaign through all available channels to obtain Karen's reinstatement."

Unison said the workers believe that Ms Reissmann was suspended and dismissed as a result of her publicly-voiced concerns about staff cuts in the health service.

During the strike, the trust implemented contingency plans to deal with the absence of the mental health workers who are tasked with providing homecare for 1,000 psychiatric patients.