STRIKING health visitors demonstrated outside the Welsh Parliament today and called on the Plaid Cymru government to act on its promises.

The Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board’s Unite health visitors have been on strike for fair pay for 20 weeks now after job evaluation placed them on a higher grade.

The health board has not acted to place them on the higher grade and talks at Acas have foundered.

Plaid Cymru members, when in opposition, regularly called on the Labour-run Welsh government to order the health board to resolve the dispute and pay the workers the higher rates of pay.

Unite Wales regional organiser Paul Seppman told the Star that the strikers needed Plaid to follow through on pre-election promises to end the dispute.

“Assurances were given to our members by Plaid and some of the striking health visitors voted for the party as a means to end the dispute,” he said.

“We have met with health minister Mabon ap Gwynfor who said he would contact the health board.

“We need him to be firm and instruct the health board to honour the job evaluation exercise and place the health visitors on Band seven.”

When asked how the minister is trying to resolve the strike, a Welsh government spokesman told the Star: “The cabinet minister for health has discussed the current situation with the chair of the Cwm Taf Health Board and also Unite and has been clear that this regrettable situation should not have occurred in the first place.

“He expects both parties to get back round the table to find a solution to the ongoing dispute.”

But Unite Wales said the health board refuses to talk to them and has not been in touch with the union since individual talks with Acas in April.

Unite Wales health visitors representative Jo Penny said: “We’re really disappointed with Plaid Cymru, and disgusted that the executive board at Cwm Taf took a 9 per cent pay rise.

“We want Plaid to intervene and tell the health board to sort this out as it has the money in its coffers.”

Unite has held a fresh strike ballot and the union will announce the result next week as it plans a further demonstration outside the Senedd on July 14.