The British Veterinary Association has responded to the announcement of a recruitment drive by the newly-formed British Veterinary Union (BVU) and Unite.
Harvey Locke, President of the BVA, said: "Those working in veterinary practice have always been able to join Unite or any other trade union, and it is unclear whether vets are actually being offered anything new in this recruitment campaign.
"The BVA provides the majority of services traditionally offered by a union and we are constantly working to improve our services to support the veterinary team. In the last two years we have developed mediation and legal representation services to help members through difficult issues in the workplace. The BVA's 24/7 legal helpline remains one of our most valued services with up to 600 calls year on employment and personal issues. We also produce and update a wide range of advice and guidance on all aspects of veterinary employment.
"All of our services continue to be developed using the expertise and experiences of our members.
"In addition to these support services the BVA package incorporates much more. The BVA is a key stakeholder of the RCVS, Defra, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland administrations, the VMD and other bodies, representing members on issues as diverse as pet travel, bovine TB and medicines regulations. This is not a role Unite could play for our profession."
PS: Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vets.
A similar situation occurred in Australia in the mid to late 1990s when APESMA (Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists & Managers, Australia) had a recruitment drive. In 1998 they did end up creating Australia's first legislated set of terms and conditions for the employment of veterinarians. Unfortunately those terms, more recently updated in 2010, are quite paltry, and the vast majority of employed veterinarians receive minimal if any benefit from their existance.
As with the BVA, the Australian Veterinary Association provides a range of member services, including HR and legal advice, along with advocacy activities, that the union cannot match. it will be interesting to see what the British unions come up with.