Unison members at mental health charity Second Step have announced seven further days of strike action in their dispute over pay.

More than 100 union members working at the South West of England charity have already staged four days of action, that took place earlier this month and ended on 22 January.

They have now announced a further seven days of action will take place, starting next week from 29 January to 3 February, and staged again on Friday 6 February.

This is impacting the charity’s sites in Bristol, Somerset, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire.

The dispute centres on union members concerns that their pay is failing to keep pace with inflation, leaving them “struggling with the cost of living”, said the union.

Unison South West regional secretary Tim Roberts said: “Staff have already taken four days of strike action, but the employer still hasn’t come forward with a fair pay offer or meaningful talks.

“These workers provide vital mental health support in communities across the South West. They should not be worrying about how to pay their bills. Second Step must act urgently to resolve this dispute.”

Paula Sharley, the union’s Bristol branch secretary added: “Instead of being able to continue their skilled and vital work, staff at Second Step have been forced to announce further strike dates to secure the respect they deserve. The employer must now come to the table with a fair pay offer.”

A spokesperson for Second Step, which delivers council and NHS funded mental health services in the region, said that the charity "cannot offer any uplift" on pay for the current financial year "as this would put our service delivery at unacceptable risk and is not sustainable".

They added: "We have made our tight financial situation clear to Unison at every stage of our negotiations.

"While we respect the right of union members to take lawful industrial action, our focus remains on maintaining safe, continuous support for the people who rely on our services every day.

"We are working with our teams to put our updated business continuity plans into action. Team managers and senior leaders are supporting colleagues to make sure we minimise disruption.

"We remain committed to ending this dispute and we are working with Acas and Unison to see if we can resolve our differences. This is not without its challenges, particularly at this time of year, and we are grateful to our hundreds of colleagues and clients for their understanding and support."

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