Night Shift Supervisors in Lakewood Regional Secure Care Centre are taking all out strike action in opposition to a vicious attack on their working conditions.  If management get away with the cuts, workers will be forced to work an extra 36 nights a year.  These brutal changes would mean staff working many more weekends and having fewer breaks from their extremely stressful jobs.

These dedicated staff have been forced into taking this action as a last resort due to management’s intransigence. Negotiations between the bosses and the staff trade union, NIPSA, have so far failed to secure a resolution in spite of reasonable and sensible alternatives proposed by the NIPSA members concerned.

NIPSA considers the proposed changes are as a direct result of the Government’s public sector cuts programme. Furthermore they are an indication of how the Trust will endeavour to implement cuts in other programmes of care due to lack of appropriate funding for essential public services.

The workers have asked people to demonstrate their support in this crucial dispute by attending the picket lines at the Lakewood Centre, Bangor and Ashgrove ISU, Newtownards each day at 7.30am 2.30pm and 9.30pm.  Messages of support to Barbara on 07525911204