CARE workers in north London announced two more days of strike action yesterday as part of an ongoing dispute after bosses cruelly slashed their pay.

Staff employed by a council-controlled private company Your Choice Barnet (YCB) rejected an offer from bosses to reduce pay by 7.9 per cent — instead of the 9.5 per cent originally announced.

The offer came after four day-long walkouts last year, but staff will now strike again on January 22 and 23.

Conciliation talks between public-sector union Unison and managers have resulted in stalemate. Tory flagship Barnet Council, which reps say “holds the power strings” in the dispute, has refused to come to the table.

“Our members held back from taking action before Christmas in order not to disrupt the service for service users and their carers at such a sensitive time of the year,” said Unison branch secretary John Burgess.

“This demonstrates again their professionalism and dedication but also their determination to stand up to attacks on their terms and conditions.”

Unison said that conditions imposed on YCB by the council made it “difficult to see how YCB can survive … without our members constantly bailing it out through their financial sacrifice.”

The union called on the council to relieve the care provider of its pensions deficit.

YCB director of care and support Julie Riley said she was “extremely disappointed” by the industrial action.

“The consequences of further strike action on staff members, our service users and their families and ultimately the future viability

of Your Choice are not encouraging,” she said.