Workers at the homeless charity St Mungo’s have today begun a month-long strike over pay.
A protest is set to take place at St Mungo’s headquarters at midday, and the strike will take place between Tuesday 30 May and Monday 26 June.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Charity workers who should be on the streets helping the homeless have reached breaking point. The workers are now taking a stand.”
She added: “St Mungo’s have the answer in their own hands. Make Unite members a decent pay offer. Their indifference to the financial pressures facing their own staff is quite frankly astonishing.”
The union said the charity increased its 1.75% pay rise offer to 2.25%, but it had been rejected by 91% of staff balloted across southern England.
Unite balloted over 500 workers across southern England including in London, Bristol, Brighton, Oxford, Bournemouth and Reading, and there will be pickets in London, Brighton, Bristol and Oxford.
Steve O’Donnell, Unite regional officer, said: “The workers at St Mungo’s are ready for this strike. Although they recognise taking action has an impact on their clients the fault of the strike lies firmly with the management.”
St Mungo’s previously said it could not afford to meet the union’s pay demands, as it would “not remain financially viable as an organisation”.
Emma Haddad, chief executive of St Mungo’s, said: “Our latest offer, combined with the annual pay rise proposed by the National Joint Council, would have meant a pay rise of at least 10% for those colleagues on the lowest salaries. This is what Unite has been asking for but voted against it.
“After all our efforts to find a solution to this dispute, a four-week strike is unprecedented and disproportionate. It will impact vulnerable people at risk of or recovering from homelessness.
“My door remains open to Unite, every day during the strike.”
Related Articles
