Practice with union recognition deal hit by strike threat

A Welsh veterinary practice group is facing a potential strike threat barely a year after it became the first in the sector to complete a union recognition agreement.

A pay and conditions offer made by Valley Vets has been branded “derisory” as union officials claimed a consultative ballot indicated overwhelming support for industrial action.

But the group, which is owned by VetPartners, has said all its salaries compare favourably against the SPVS survey and a similar survey carried out by Alan Jones and Associates.

In a statement, the leadership team at Valley Vets added that salaries accounted for 57% of revenue and that the increases demanded by the British Veterinary Union (BVU) would have added more than 15% to the practice’s wage bill.

‘Saddened’

The statement continued: “We are saddened to see the British Veterinary Union in Unite intends balloting members at Valley Vets to take strike action. We entered into discussions with the union in good faith and are still hopeful that a resolution can be achieved.

“At this time, and particularly in light of the economic environment and the CMA investigation, we do not feel able to increase the fees paid by our clients to the level needed to meet Unite’s demands.

“We are acutely aware of the pressure the cost of living crisis is placing on some of our colleagues, so we prioritised Valley Vets lowest-paid team members with a 7.27% pay increase, while higher paid colleagues also received an increase at a lower rate.

“We are committed to sustainably improving terms and conditions, including pay, for all our team members, however, unfortunately the BVU in Unite’s demands were of a scale that was not conducive to the business remaining viable and us retaining all employees.”

‘Derisory’

The dispute is the second major industrial relations issue to hit the sector in recent weeks, with details emerging at around the same time as Vets Now’s move to axe sleep breaks during night shifts.

A recognition agreement between Valley Vets and the BVU, which the union said covered around 120 staff, was announced in May last year.

The union claimed its members were “presented with a derisory offer” when they sought to negotiate improved pay and conditions.

Although details of the offer have were not disclosed by the BVU itself, it said 98% of members voted for industrial action, on a 93% turnout, in a consultative ballot.

A formal postal ballot now has to take place before any action can go ahead.