Mental health counselors working for Norfolk and Waveney Mind are staging a five-day walkout beginning Monday. The strike is in response to what staff describe as unfair pay practices and new restrictions on discussing salaries on social media.
Union highlights pay gap
The counselors deliver vital talking therapy services for the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. However, according to the union Unison, many are being paid at trainee rates even though they are fully qualified. This situation, the union says, leaves staff earning thousands of dollars less than their peers in equivalent roles elsewhere in the health service.
“Counselors are highly trained professionals doing complex work,” said Unison regional organizer Cameron Matthews. “They should be paid accordingly. Instead, they are being undervalued and underpaid.”
Social media rules spark anger
In addition to the pay dispute, workers say they have been effectively gagged by new social media guidelines that prohibit discussing salary issues online. The union criticized the move, claiming it stifles open discussion and prevents transparency. Matthews called the restrictions “outrageous,” adding, “gagging staff won’t stop them from standing up for what’s right.”
Charity defends its approach
Norfolk and Waveney Mind has defended its pay policies, stating that it is not required to pay full rates because it provides “high-intensity therapy” services without using high-intensity therapists. The union disputes this explanation, saying that the arrangement may put the organization in breach of its contract with the NHS trust.
Concerns about wider service impact
Unison argues that the dispute highlights deeper issues within the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, which has faced repeated criticism for its performance. Matthews suggested that trust leaders should intervene to resolve the conflict rather than leaving frontline workers to fight alone. “Trust bosses are showing exactly how the organization found itself at the bottom of the league table,” he said.
The strike, while disruptive, is seen by counselors as a last resort. “Nobody wants to walk away from patients who need support,” Matthews explained. “But staff have been left with no choice. They want fair pay and recognition for the skilled and important work they do.”
Next steps
Union leaders are calling for urgent negotiations between the trust and Mind to reach a fair resolution. Both organizations have been contacted for comment, but as of publication no response has been provided.
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