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Health chiefs hope for dialogue with strikers

22/11/2007

Talks between Manchester health managers and union chiefs are to take place as a strike involving 160 mental health workers continues.

The strike started on November 8th when Manchester psychiatric workers walked out to protest against the sacking of Unison official Karen Reissmann.

Ms Reissmann was suspended in June after she was accused of bringing the Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust into disrepute; she was recently found guilty of gross misconduct.

Unison believes that Ms Reissmann was suspended and dismissed because she publicly voiced her concern about staff cuts in the NHS.

Union spokesman Andy Gill told the BBC that the union is using "all legal means open to us to get this decision overturned".

A spokesman for the health trust said it is keen for "ongoing dialogue" to take place between the two sides.

This is the fourth time since August that mental health workers, who provide homecare for 1,000 psychiatric patients, have gone on strike.

The health trust said it has implemented contingency plans to deal with the absence of mental health workers.