Failure to appropriately pay workers has led to further strikes

Workers employed by the private veterinary practice Valley Vets in South Wales, have announced further strikes from 23 August to 31 August after the company refused to enter meaningful negotiations with Unite.

Valley Vet’s workers, including nurses, support staff and vets, have already taken industrial action, which began with an initial walkout from 16 July to 30 July, followed by further ongoing strike action from 6 August to 23 August. The workers will therefore be on strike for 26 days this month.

Valley Vet’s support staff have been suffering from low pay that has left 80 per cent regularly borrowing money to meet their basic living costs. The company is attempting to heap more misery on its workers by in some cases only offering a pay increase of between one and 1.5 per cent. This is a substantial real terms pay cut as the RPI rate of inflation at the time the pay rise was due stood at 3.3 per cent.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Valley Vets generate massive profits, yet they are fully prepared to cold heartedly leave their workers to struggle financially.

“Our members have been subjected to this for long enough and Unite will support them every step of the way in their battle for adequate wages.”

Valley Vets is owned by VetPartners, which recorded gross profits of £553 million in 2023 after a £120 million increase from the previous year. Not only do VetPartners pay their staff poverty wages, but they are also currently under investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority for non-competitive practices.

Eighty per cent of Valley Vets support staff report that they regularly borrow money along with five per cent of staff reporting that they have resorted to using food banks.

Unite regional officer Paul Seppman said: “The disruption caused by the further strike action is entirely the fault of Valley Vets and VetPartners. Despite the severe disruption industrial action has already caused the company has not been prepared to enter into proper negotiations.

“Our members are chronically underpaid. A company with this kind of wealth should be paying decent wages and providing decent conditions which its hardworking staff fully deserve. VetPartners can bring an end to this dispute anytime by re-entering negotiations, but they are choosing not to and instead are happy to see their hard-working staff being driven into poverty.”