‘These workers provide vital mental health support in communities’
Mental health workers from Bristol charity Second Step man the picket lines in a dispute over pay, January 2026(Image: Unison SW)
Staff at one of the oldest and biggest mental health and housing charities across Bristol and Bath will go on strike for another seven days this week as the pay dispute with charity bosses intensified.
Bosses at Second Step, which delivers local authority and NHS-funded mental health services and cares for people with mental health issues both in their own homes and at specialist housing centres, say they simply cannot afford to pay staff more.
More than 100 workers will walk out in protest at a low pay increase offer, telling bosses they have been receiving below inflation pay rises for years, and many of their workers can’t afford to live in Bristol and Bath while working for the charity.
Support workers, recovery specialists and central staff staged a strike over four days that ended last week and, with no agreement in place, announced another seven days of strikes that will begin on Thursday this week, January 29.
Workers will then go out on strike again every day until the end of Tuesday, February 3, with a seventh day planned on Friday, February 6. They plan to mount picket lines at a number of Second Step buildings and housing projects – including the High Support Accommodation unit at the Toll House at the Ashton Gate end of North Street, the head office in Pennywell Road in St Jude’s and the Greenway Centre in Southmead, as well as at Second Step’s office in Southgate Street in Bath.
The mental health workers’ union Unison said the value of workers’ pay has fallen annually because the charity has failed to award increases in line with inflation, leaving staff struggling with the cost of living.
Unison SW said Second Step ‘unilaterally imposed’ a 2.5 per cent pay rise, and then initially declined to negotiate with staff through the union. The dispute went to the conciliation service ACAS, but no improved offer has been made.
“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,” Unison South West regional secretary Tim Roberts said.
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“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,” he added.
Unison’s Bristol branch secretary Paula Sharley added: “Employers must recognise that unionised workers have a right to negotiate on their pay and conditions. That’s an essential part of a healthy industrial relationship.
“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,” she said.
Unison has launched an appeal to support striking workers and are encouraging people to donate to support them as they enter their second, longer strike.
A spokesperson for Second Step said they simply don’t get enough funding from the NHS and local councils to pay staff any more.
“Regarding pay, we cannot offer any uplift for the financial year 2025/2026 as this would put our service delivery at unacceptable risk and is not sustainable,” they said.
Mental health workers from Bristol charity Second Step man the picket lines in a dispute over pay, January 2026(Image: Unison SW)
“We have made our tight financial situation clear to Unison at every stage of our negotiations. We have made a clear and constructive offer to establish a union recognition agreement, following the standard process led by Acas. As part of our offer, a final agreement on recognition would be subject to a whole- staff ballot. This is to ensure all staff have a say in this important decision,” they added.
“Our clients’ wellbeing continues to be our priority. 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,” they said.
“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,” they added.
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Bristol City Council is one of those organisations funding Second Step programmes in the community. It is run by a Green Party-led coalition. The Green Party in Bristol has come out in support of striking Second Step mental health workers.
“As Second Step employees face real-terms paycuts and lacking a meaningful recognition agreement, we wholeheartedly support everyone meeting at the picket line,” a Bristol Green Party spokesperson said.
“The Green Party has pledged to fight against oppressive anti-union legislation and protect workers’ right to strike. Our charity and mental health sectors continue to crumble under this
Labour government, which claims to be for working people and yet refuses to tax the super-rich to fund vital services meaningfully.
“The Green Party listens to workers and promises to fund services fairly. We would achieve this by reforming capital gains tax and introducing a wealth tax of 1 per cent on assets above £10 million and 2 per cent on assets above £1 billion.
“Bristol Green Party encourages all workers at Second Step to join UNISON and organise for fair pay. We sympathise with Second Step staff and members of our community who may be impacted by the strikes, with hope for a fair pay resolution that improves Second Step’s capacity to serve,” they added.