Union officials said the staff have not had a pay rise since they were transferred from the NHS to the county council in 2017.
In what was believed to be the first health visitor strike action of its kind, Caroline Fisher told The Lincolnite that she has been waiting eight years for a pay rise.
“This pinches into my pocket and my family’s,” she said. “I should be planning for my retirement this year, but instead I’m having to defer it.”
Unite Regional Officer Steve Syson said: “A lot of those here today are 20-year people at the top of their band and our view is they should be in the top pay, but instead they’ve been offered the lower level…they should be renumerated properly.”
Unite said the council has created a two-tier health visitor service and placed trained professionals on the lower tier, and therefore the lower pay band.
He said a new role created by the authority was “not fit for purpose” and has been a downgrade of health visitors’ professional status, while the workload remains the same.
Interim director of education at Lincolnshire County Council, Heather Sandy, has previously said the authority “highly values the role of health visitors as part of our workforce” and called them “an essential part of children services”.
“We have always been prepared to sit around the table with Unite and will continue to be available for further talks so we can resolve the issue as soon as possible,” she said.
“We wish to reassure the public that if these strikes go ahead, we have plans in place to cover absences, particularly in the most vulnerable areas.”
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Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!