Beechgrove Staff Will ‘Fight Tooth And Nail’ To Save Perth’s Last Public Care Home

Beechgrove Staff Will ‘Fight Tooth And Nail’ To Save Perth’s Last Public Care Home

GMB Scotland has today (Friday 20 April) said that staff at the closure threatened Beechgrove House will ‘fight tooth and nail’ to save Perth’s last publicly owned care home.

A consultative ballot of the union’s members in Beechgrove delivered unanimous backing for industrial action in response to last month’s decision by the local Integration Joint Board (IJB) to impose closure on the home.

Staff, residents, families and community campaigners reacted with outrage after the IJB bulldozed through the closure, barring local councillors from exercising a vote to save the care home.

GMB has also written to the Perth & Kinross Council Leader Murray Lyle, urging the council to intervene and work with campaigners to reverse the IJB decision.

GMB Scotland Organiser Vicki Leonard said: “Closing down the last publicly owned care home in town would be a disaster for local services users, their families and for the dedicated staff who deliver first-class care.

Residents, families, trade unions, community groups and councillors are vehemently against this closure so it makes an absolute mockery of local democracy when the IJB can impose its will without contest.

We have written to the leader of PKC to inform him of our consultative ballot result, the strength of feeling among the staff towards the IJB decision and of our intention to move to a full industrial action ballot unless interventions are made.

Perth cannot be the only city in Scotland that doesn't have a council run care home for its residents and our members will fight tooth and nail to defend it.”

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Contact: Helen Meldrum, GMB Scotland Organiser, on 07958 156838 or Peter Welsh, GMB Scotland Communications, on 07976 44707