Staff at VetPartners practice vote to strike
The planned strike will begin on 16 July.
Employees at a practice in Wales have voted to strike over pay and conditions, a year after it became the first practice in the UK to reach a recognition agreement with the British Veterinary Union (BVU).
The strike at Valley Vets, which is owned by VetPartners, will start at 8am on 16 July 2024 and will last for two weeks.
The industrial action follows a postal ballet in which 94 per cent of members voted to strike on a 93 per cent turnout.
Staff at the practice had previously rejected a pay offer that the BVU said would have meant a real-terms pay cut for the majority of employees. The union has said that the door is open to restart negotiations in the hope that an improved offer will make the strike unnecessary.
Valley Vets has defended its pay offer, saying that the practice sits in the upper quartile of veterinary sector salary reviews. The practice offered its lowest paid staff a 7.27 per cent pay increase, while higher paid employees were offered an increase at a lower rate.
A statement issued on behalf of the Valley Vets leadership team said they were “saddened by the results of the strike ballot” after entering discussions with the union “in good faith”.
The practice has said that there are contingency plans are in place to provide a reduced service during the strike, which will “prioritise animal welfare, while ensuring those team members providing the service can continue to maintain their high standards of care without experiencing increased pressure”.
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Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
