The first ever strike at a private veterinary practice in the UK will escalate this week, as around 100 staff continue their action.

Staff at Valley Vets in Cardiff, many of whom earn little more than the national minimum wage, have been on strike since July over poverty pay.

VetPartners, owned by £138bn private equity fund BC Partners, claims it cannot afford to give the lowest paid workers at Valley Vets the living wage of £12 an hour, even though, in 2023, the company reported gross profits of £553m.

UK union Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has hit out at VetPartners for what they call “extracting profits by raising prices on pet owners and paying staff poverty wages".

“This is a business model that hurts animals and workers alike and Valley Vets workforce have had enough. They have Unite's absolute support during these strikes.”

Petition

The workers have taken approximately six weeks of strike action since July, with the next 24-hour strike to begin at 8am on Friday 13 September.

A petition in support of the striking workers has grown to almost 50,000 signatures.

VetPartners has reacted to the strikes by closing its four satellite veterinary surgeries and moving all staff to its central hospital in Cardiff, which the company says is necessary to review Valley Vets’ business future.

The Competition and Markets Authority is currently investigating VetPartners, Pets at Home, CVS Group, IVC, Linnaeus and Medivet for non-competitive practices - together, they own 60% of UK veterinary practices.

Unite regional officer Paul Seppman said the surgery closures are part of Valley Vets campaign to break the strike.

“Its actions are not only costing thousands in lost revenue, but are clearly not in the interests of the animals that should be its first and foremost priority.

“Settling this dispute would barely dent VetPartners' bottom line.”