In October, a historic industrial dispute by veterinary workers in South Wales in the UK suffered a devastating setback, with the employer VetPartners announcing the sudden closure of four clinics where staff had been agitating for measures to address low pay and poor working conditions.

Traditionally a poorly unionized sector, the veterinary industry has seen a recent surge in union membership with Unite’s British Veterinary Union, a national branch representing workers in hundreds of workplaces, seeing a rapid rise in membership.

Veterinary workers include veterinarians and qualified nurses, but also administrative and supportive staff, many of whom are increasingly squeezed by low wages and poor terms and conditions. Unite the Union reported some of these workers using food banks amid a cost-of-living crisis, with wages failing to keep up with inflation despite a boom in pet ownership and a spike in the cost of veterinary treatment.