Row over plans to switch some Sunderland social workers onto zero-hours contracts

Together for Children (TfC), the organisation which has run children’s services in Wearside since 2017, is considering overhauling the way it employs some members of its emergency duty team.

But staff representatives are concerned the proposal to switch to casual contract could strip workers of holiday and sick pay entitlements.

“This is a very worrying proposal that TfC is making,” said John Kelly, branch secretary for Unite the Union.

“The worry is this will open the flood gates to even more TfC contracts being changed.”

He added: “The trade unions fought Sunderland City Council many years ago for them to replace all casual contracts with PVH contracts, when children’s services was still an in-house service area.

“For TfC to try and take away those terms and conditions is against everything we fought for and could be used as a precedent for further proposals at the expense of employees terms and conditions in other areas.”

About 10 members of TfC’s emergency duty team, which provides out of hours services, are currently thought to be affected by the negotiations.

The staff currently hold permanent variable hours (PVH) contracts, which include sickness and holiday benefits, but bosses would like to see them switch to casual, or zero hour, contracts, which could strip these away.

Some affected are understood to also hold permanent positions in other TfC teams, with additional PVH contracts allowing them to provide cover for the emergency duty team.

A TfC spokesman said: “The proposal for change is currently being discussed as part of a formal consultation process with our staff and trade unions, to ensure that any concerns are listened to, understood and managed appropriately.

“Any decision to change the way in which we work will always take account of our need to ensure that we provide services which best support the needs of the children, young people and families in Sunderland.

“As we are currently within the formal consultation period, we are unable to comment any further at this time.”

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