Social Workers Union – would you join?
2nd March 2011
Should social workers have their own dedicated union? The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) thinks so…
BASW have recently announced proposals to form a new trade union for social workers, which would be aptly named ‘The Social Workers Union’. This announcement is one of the latest developments in an ongiong tale of conflict and confusion between BASW and the College of Social Work over the future of a social work college.
Obviously there are already other trade unions in place which social workers could join, but the idea of a new one run by social work professionals, and with their specific interests at heart, could be an appealing one for many people.
Some weeks ago, the College of Social Work announced an agreement with the public sector union Unison. This is an issue over which BASW have expressed their disappointment, and the move to set up their own union for social workers could be seen as a direct response to this.
There are still many issues and questions to be addressed concerning the BASW plans, some of which have been clarified this week on Community Care.
